Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has announced it will be hosting an evidence session on Friday on the impact of the ‘digital divide’ in accessing online support during the Covid-19 crisis

MPs will hear evidence about the scale of digital exclusion at a time of a rapid shift online to access support during the Covid-19 outbreak.The challenges facing individuals and communities without access to online technology will be assessed as part of a wider inquiry examining sectors within the remit of the DCMS.

The session will focus on the needs of vulnerable people such as those advised to shield, the government’s role in promoting digital inclusion and what impact digital exclusion could have in the longer term.

The Committee will hear from Good Things Foundation, a charity that promotes access to digital skills and connectivity; Starting Point Community Learning Partnership, which helps people in and around Stockport, Greater Manchester to develop digital skills; and FutureDotNow which is working in collaboration with the Government on the DevicesDotNow initiative to distribute digital devices across the UK.

The inquiry into the Impact of Covid-19 on DCMS Sectors is now accepting evidence until Friday 19th June