Tony Blair has responded to fears of a growing divide between the information-rich and the information-poor by announcing his intention to ensure everyone in Britain has internet access within five years.
In a speech today designed to boost his government's internet credentials, the prime minister told Knowledge 2000, a joint CBI/TUC conference, that "the knowledge economy must be an economy for the many and not the few".
"Universal internet access is vital if we are not only to avoid social divisions over the new economy but to create a knowledge economy of the future which is for everyone," Mr Blair said. "We cannot accept a digital divide for business or for individuals."
For people who cannot afford internet access via a PC, mobile phone or digital television, the prime minister promised to "ensure there is a nearby public access point".
Highlighting the government's energetic approach to new internet technology, Mr Blair outlined a number of Labour's commitments including:
• A national grid for learning, connecting schools and libraries to the internet by 2002;
• 1,000 information technology learning centres;
• 100,000 refurbished computers for low income families;
• Discounts of 80% on basic information technology courses by September this year.
One in six people in Britain already had access to the internet, a 200% increase in a single year, and were spending on average 12 hours a week online, more than their continental counterparts.
Britain headed the European "e-league" of countries using the new technology, the prime minister declared, pointing to a report by management consultants Booz, Allen and Hamilton showing Britain carried out e-trading worth $1.89bn, compared with £1.65bn in Germany, £1.2bn in France and a European average of $484m.
The education and employment secretary David Blunkett also announced to the conference the government's plans for an online service linking vacancies, skills programmes and careers advice.
Mr Blunkett said jobseekers would be able to look for work by surfing the internet either at home or in shopping centres and pubs through the Learning and Work Bank.
The scheme, to be launched later this year, will include a website with hundreds of thousands of vacancies from jobcentres and recruitment agencies.
"The bank has the potential to revolutionise the labour market by matching jobs to workers, taking learning out into the community and eventually giving people access to jobs throughout Europe, all at the click of a button.
"It promises to be the most comprehensive dot.com jobs, skills and careers service in the country," Mr Blunkett said, although the service would rely on the more old-fashioned telephone call to follow up any jobs.
