7. Will the Minister make a statement on efforts to improve digital inclusion? OAQ53671

With pleasure. Through Digital Communities Wales and the many other actions in our digital inclusion framework and delivery plan, we are supporting more people to gain maximum benefit from the life-changing opportunities digital technologies can offer.

Thank you, Minister, for that answer. I'm sure you will agree with me that access to digital connectivity is a great way of ensuring that people across the country can access various social media platforms, including a range of online apps. Would the Minister agree with me that the roll-out is also important in ensuring that people can access online mental health services? We know the importance of developments in online services for those who aren't able to speak out face to face or over the phone, for example. There's been some great work in this area done by students from Coleg Cambria as part of their Welsh baccalaureate. They created an app for the charity Mind—the great charity called Mind—that will benefit individuals with mental health issues, such as myself. Do you agree with that?

I certainly do. Digital inclusion can have a significant impact on people's health outcomes by helping them take control of their health and care, or helping to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. It can give them a medium through which they can communicate with others in the most comfortable way and access online services and resources to support their mental health in what can be a very beneficial and helpful way. I didn't know about the app. I'm very pleased to hear about it, and I'm sure that it will have a very good effect for those people who are using it.

We must also, as he said, be mindful of the risks and dangers and the responsibility that we all bear to ensure that people are not exposed to online experiences that can have severely detrimental effects on mental health. Through Digital Communities Wales we are providing a vital co-ordination role in communities, to help people with their motivation, access and skills, to be able to improve their lives through digital technology. The programme works with mental health charities to improve the digital skills of people experiencing mental health issues and to give them the resilience and techniques to withstand some of the experiences that we know can happen, while also accessing the online services that we know can be very helpful.

We want to ensure that our citizens have the basic digital skills needed to be able to make those informed choices, and that's why the training includes tips on how to stay safe, as I say. I'm very pleased that we've just announced the awarding of the contract for health services and for digital inclusion across Wales. That programme will be able to assist people who find themselves both in hospital and in other care settings to access digital services online, and to give them the skills they need to develop that.   

As we move to a digital society—a fully digital society—I am concerned about those areas of Wales where, of course, we don't have comparable digital infrastructure in place for people to use, of course. But, on top of that, there is the issue of digital literacy, which is particularly high in areas where there are relatively higher populations of those who are older in age. So, it has been almost three years, I think, now since the Welsh Government published its digital inclusion plan. I wonder if you could outline what you're doing to support people to embrace new technology.

Yes. As I said, we've got a new £6 million, three-year digital inclusion and health programme, which will work to improve the digital capabilities of citizens and health and social care staff, allowing more people to become more active participants in their own health and well-being, which will start in July of this year. We've also put £250,000 into the translation of Learn My Way, which is an online basic digital skills platform, to make the content bilingual, so it can be promoted widely across all of the communities of Wales, to assist people who are first-language Welsh or Welsh by choice to be able to access digital skills in that way.

Since April 2015, Digital Communities Wales supported an estimated 140,000 individuals to engage with their technology, and we've also trained 2,600 young digital heroes, where young people from schools, colleges and youth organisations volunteer to support older people to engage with digital technology. If the Member hasn't seen one of those programmes in action, I'm sure we could find one in his constituency to have a look at, because I can't even talk about it without smiling. It really was a great programme—to watch a youngster helping somebody older to access the technology and bring it to life for them, really, in a really good way.

He will know that I no longer have the responsibility for the broadband programme, so I can no longer exchange pleasantries with him across the Chamber about the widgety things. But my colleague Lee Waters recently made a statement on the mobile action plan and is, I know, continuing my programme of meeting with communities across Wales to ensure that we get them the broadband connectivity that they need to participate as soon as possible.

Finally, question 8—Darren Millar.

I must apologise.

I've caught him out.

You did indeed catch me out.

Therefore, question 9—Llyr Gruffydd.

Question 8 [OAQ53651] not asked.