The Scottish Government has suspended its programme for equipping digitally excluded people with devices, as reports claim the move has been taken to help support a local government pay deal
The Scottish Government is to pause its programme to tackle digital exclusion by distributing free iPads, as the money needed is to be used to support local authority pay deals, according to reports.
A letter penned by finance secretary Shona Robison, and reported on by the BBC, said that suspending the distribution of devices will save £10m. This will go towards funding the £77.5m that is needed to make good a 4.3% pay rise for council employees agreed earlier this month.
Robison said that it “not a decision we have taken lightly”, and that more information will be provided once the current parliamentary recess period has ended.
The decision came just days after one of Robison’s colleagues, public finance minister Ivan McKee, said digital inclusivity was “fundamental” in supporting the delivery of the government’s ambitions.
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It also follows hot on the heels of a report Scotland’s auditor general that revealed that a sixth of adults in the country lack basic digital skills and, as a result, are currently blocked from being able to “fully realise their human rights”.
The iPad provision initiative forms part of the wider Connecting Scotland scheme. The project was first rolled out during the coronavirus lockdown period and, since then, a total of 60,000 devices have been given out.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is taking on significant additional financial pressure to fund this pay rise and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has been clear that painful choices have had to be made. These decisions will be set out fully in due course. Ministers are committed to prioritising the reinstatement of funding in next year’s budget and remain focused on delivering on the priorities set out by the first minister across all portfolios. We know the vital role local government employees play in delivering local services which are valued by the public. This pay offer demonstrates just how much we value these workers too. It will provide an above-inflation pay increase for all council employees and ensure the most support is focused on the lowest paid. Ministers hope that members of GMB, Unison and Unite will vote to accept it.”
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