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<p>The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education
and online social care services securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged
children and young people. The Department delivered 870,000 of these to schools, academy
trusts and local authorities by 25 January. Data on the number of devices delivered,
including by local authority, is available at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-4"
target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-4</a>.</p><p>The
Government is providing this significant injection of devices on top of an estimated
2.9 million laptops and tablets already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19
outbreak.</p><p>Our overall commitment of 1.3 million devices is comparable with Ofcom’s
UK-wide estimate that between 1.14 million and 1.78 million children in the UK have
no home access to a laptop, desktop or tablet. The Department has allocated devices
based on recent data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals.</p><p>All
schools have been invited to order their full allocation of devices. Schools, academy
trusts and local authorities are responsible for distributing the laptops and tablets
and are best placed to know which pupils need access to a device.</p><p>The Department
has also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to
help disadvantaged children get online, as well as delivering 4G wireless routers
for pupils without connection at home.</p>
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