To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the increase in digital take-up among (a) households and (b) businesses as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered on
30 July 2020
Data regarding the increase of digital take-up in households and businesses due to the COVID-19 crisis is published by the ONS, through their “Business Impact of Covid-19” and “Coronavirus and home working in the UK” surveys.
Accelerating SME digital adoption will be key to helping small businesses across the country adapt and thrive in the new economy, which places greater emphasis on digital. UK businesses and citizens have turned to digital technology at scale during the Covid-19 crisis, and the UK Government is determined to ensure that SMEs can access the digital skills and tools they need. We've partnered with Digital Boost, a platform that will provide much-needed digital support for small businesses and charities in the UK that have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis. We also plan to release our new Digital Strategy in the Autumn, which will consider how we can support a digital drive for growth.