The Executive's response to point 52 said we would encourage Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIP) to make this an integral part of their work. The digital champions are working in SIP areas - engaging local people, local organisations, and driving forward local activity.In addition the Executive's public access points initiative will put internet access into places where people already go on a day-to-day basis - such as shops. The points set out in my answer to question S1W-21282 on 16 January 2002 are also relevant here.

The Executive plans to publish the next annual progress report on the Scottish National Grid for Learning in 2002 once key data from the latest School Census have been analysed.

I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-21263 and S1W-21264 answered on 16 January 2002.

The Executive encourages public agencies through the regular and consistent promotion of the 21^st Century Government Vision, of a Scotland where the delivery of public services and public information are characterised by their citizen focus and by choice of means of access. Further to this a series of working groups and seminars on topics such as Portals, GIS and Call Centres have been held with plans for future events. The 21^st Century Government Unit has recently announced a conference 'Transforming Scotland' to be held on 25 January at the Glasgow SECC, which will further promote the citizen focussed approach. The Executive is shortly to commission research into how customer views and reactions are currently used both to improve future service delivery and to resolve any immediate service failure. This research scheduled for publication in May 2002 will be published and results promoted across the wider Public Sector. Funding of projects through the Modernising Government Fund and the subsequent sharing of best practice in this area will also have a positive effect.

The Executive's strategy for developing the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) in Scotland has a range of programmes and projects in place to encourage and co-ordinate innovative and exploratory work on ICT in schools, covering the main themes of training, content and infrastructure.We encourage the sharing of innovative practice among the approved training providers for the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training programme by holding regular co-ordinating meetings between HMIE and the training providers. In addition we have hosted two major conferences to ensure effective links between NOF training initiatives and the rollout of the NGfL. As a result we have established an Innovative Practice Group charged with exploring ways of disseminating good practice.Working with Learning and Teaching Scotland, our programme of content and software development includes the co-ordination of innovative activities where schools throughout Scotland and in other countries collaborate in on-line learning. We are supporting a number of projects that explore possible future developments in the use of ICT. With Learning and Teaching Scotland we are investigating the requirements for a learning objects repository. We have supported Dundee City Council in a project that will investigate the effective use of laptop computers by teachers and pupils. We are also working with Glasgow City Council to develop innovative approaches to the use of ICT in support of children who cannot attend schools.Our ICT innovation awards scheme is specifically designed to co-ordinate and support innovative and exploratory work in the field of ICT across pre-school, primary, secondary and community education. £50,000 has been available for each round of the scheme, offering grants of up to £5000 to support innovative projects. This support often helps to draw in money from other partners. Phase two of the scheme is supporting 14 projects, and more information can be found on the internet at http://www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/innovationawards/.

The Executive's £1.5 million Digital Champions programme is providing a network of eight digital "champions" to cover all Social Inclusion Partnership areas in Scotland. Their role is to support and develop local digital inclusion initiatives.

Through the Modernising Government Fund, the Scottish Executive has supported a number of pilot projects which are exploring the different methods of delivery available to provide information and services to Scottish citizens. Projects have involved research into service delivery through iDTV, information kiosks, call centres, one stop shops, e-mail and web sites to give but a few examples. The Scottish Executive is actively involved in encouraging a multi channel access approach, particularly through highlighting examples of best practice to be found across the Scottish public sector and through the promotion of its vision statement. The vision has at its heart, citizen choice, whereby the citizen is empowered to access information and services in his or her preferred manner.

We have no plans for public service providers to make digital television and web-enabled phones available, but we are actively promoting the development of multiple channels of access to public services through support from the Modernising Government Fund and the development of other projects.

The Executive's digital inclusion strategy sets out evidence that the digital divide in Scotland is closely correlated to low income levels. Initiatives under the digital inclusion strategy will therefore be targeted primarily on low income individuals and communities - and clearly this will include many disabled and elderly people. We also aim to put some of the new public internet access points into facilities used by elderly people. In addition, later this year we will take forward a study into how ICT and web access can be improved for disabled people.

The Executive's Digital Inclusion Strategy, which was published in September of last year, set out ways in which we will tackle this issue. The Public Internet Access Points Initiative, which is currently under development, will see internet-ready PCs being put in places where people actually go - for example shops and banks. This £5 million programme aims to create at least 1,000 extra public internet access points in Scotland, more than doubling the current number. We expect to start shipping the first PCs in the spring of this year.The £3.5 million Digital Communities competition will tackle digital inclusion by creating pilot "digital communities" to provide home-base internet access in two disadvantaged communities in Scotland. The objective is to assess how individual access to the internet can transform opportunities for people living in these communities, by developing new ways of accessing learning, work, shopping and leisure.