Scottish Labour to publish technology paper to fix “scandal” of digital exclusion

Scottish Labour has urged the Scottish Government to tackle the “scandal” of digital exclusion or risk missing out on the digital revolution.

The party is set to publish later today its technology paper, outlining its “high-level vision” on the sector and kicking off a series of roundtables with the industry to further develop policy.

The paper is also expected to examine how to fix the digital exclusion gap. 

It comes amid a digital support crisis north of the border, with organisations helping those at risk struggling financially and many Scottish adults lacking the skills needed to navigate the internet.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “Technology has the power to transform our economy and our public services, but we need to ensure that no-one is left behind.

“The SNP has failed to tackle digital exclusion in Scotland, meaning communities across the country are at risk of missing out on the opportunities technology can provide.”

In August, an Audit Scotland report showed one in six Scottish adults lacked the digital skills needed for everyday life and warned it could be impacting their human rights.

However, despite calls from digital inclusion organisations for renewed support from the Scottish Government, no funding was allocated to bridging the gap in the December draft budget announcement.

Scotland also remains “by many metrics, the least connected of the UK’s four nations”, an Ofcom report revealed last month.

The report showed Scotland’s 4G ‘not spots’ – areas with no access to a mobile network operator - stood at 11 per cent, five per cent lower compared to the previous year, but six per cent higher than the UK average.

The budget did, however, pledge £100m for the continued rollout of the government’s digital connectivity programme R100, which plans to provide broadband speed to every area in Scotland by 2028 – seven years later than initially planned.

Sarwar added: “Whether it’s removing the barriers preventing the most deprived communities from getting online or building infrastructure in rural Scotland, the SNP must ensure that everyone is connected.

“Scottish Labour is determined to put Scotland at the forefront of the digital revolution and ensure that everyone can benefit.”