1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve digital inclusion in rural communities? OQ57979

Our digital inclusion and health programme, Digital Communities Wales, supports organisations across all communities and sectors to help people maximise the opportunities digital can offer. And over 91,000 people have received support for basic digital skills, motivation and confidence, which can help them gain employment, access services and support well-being.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. Many of my residents in north Wales live in rural communities that are often poorly served by existing digital infrastructure and, whilst some are now being offered improved services, it can be daunting to make the right decisions in terms of providers, broadband types and changing phone lines. This is particularly the case as the cost-of-living crisis continues to be felt and improving a household's digital connectivity can be expensive. What support does the Welsh Government have in place to guide people in rural communities through the process of improving digital connectivity so that they are no longer excluded from a world that is now centred online?

Thank you very much, Carolyn Thomas, for your important question as North Wales regional Member. The Welsh Government website www.gov.wales/broadband-in-Wales does contain useful information to help guide people through the process of improving digital connectivity, including the range of options available. It's crucial now that we maximise our understanding and awareness of that, as you say, particularly in relation to the cost-of-living crisis, but also to welcome the fact that many local authorities do have broadband engagement officers helping people and communities to improve their digital connectivity, including Anglesey, Gwynedd, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham in north Wales. So, it is important that we ensure that this is maximised in terms of reaching out to your citizens and constituents.

Minister, people living in rural areas who are not online are usually excluded due to problems in broadband provision, as my colleague Carolyn just mentioned. Both with fixed line and mobile broadband services, it's often the case that both are a problem for constituents. Digitally excluded people are some of the heaviest users of health and social care services and risk being left behind by recent developments that have seen services, such as appointment bookings, prescription requests and consultations, moving online. Given that fewer people in Wales use the internet to manage their health than the rest of the United Kingdom, what is the Welsh Government—and I know, from your previous answer, you mentioned the website and support services, but what specifically is the Welsh Government doing—to ensure that people living in rural areas are not left behind and excluded from the benefits of accessing health services online? Thank you.

Thank you, Natasha Asghar. That's a very important question as well. Interestingly, we do know through our national survey for Wales that rural and urban aren't necessarily the underlying cause for digital exclusion—93 per cent of people in both rural and urban areas use the internet. But, as you say, in terms of digital inclusion and access to health, it's important to also acknowledge that £2 million per annum has been invested in that programme—the digital inclusion and health programme, Digital Communities Wales: Digital Confidence, Health and Well-being—since July 2019. In fact, I had a meeting about this with the Minister for Health and Social Services and Cwmpas, which are working to promote the Digital Communities Wales programme, just last week, and we looked at these particular issues in terms of access to health. It's interesting that, also, for example, health boards are taking responsibilities. Hywel Dda is working closely with Digital Communities Wales to consider how to embed digital inclusion within their plans and are also signing up to the digital inclusion charter. But, finally, on this point, we are very keen to work on the minimum digital living standard for Wales, and that's been now taken forward—we've commissioned the University of Liverpool to follow up this work.

Thank you very much to Carolyn for asking this question. I have residents in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, in Islaw'r-dref, for example, who can't undertake their business online, and they have to either move away or close their business down. I have young children who are exempted from school conversations because they can't access the latest videos on Netflix or YouTube, and so they can't take part in those conversations with their fellow pupils. Others can't do homework online, or they can't register stock because of the lack of connectivity. I don't know how many times I've had meetings with authorities, be that Openreach or anyone else, only to hear them say with pride that they're going to reach 95 per cent of the population within a few years. But the truth is that they shouldn't aim to reach 95 per cent of the population; they should aim for 100 per cent of the population, and no less. What's the point of residents having access to today's technology in five years' time, when, in five years' time, technology will have moved forward again and residents will be excluded again? So, it's a matter of social justice. Will you, therefore, ensure that everyone has access to the internet—not a percentage of people, but everyone—and make that a priority for you as a Government?

Thank you very much for your important question.

In fact, Digital Communities Wales is supporting Citizens Online's community renewal funded project—you're probably aware of it, Mabon—Gwynedd Ddigidol, which does focus on supporting people with employment-related basic digital skills. Also, recognising that telecommunications is not devolved to Wales—we commented on this yesterday—but we continue to deliver improvements in digital connectivity, specifically across north Wales in terms of responding to your question, but of course, for the whole of Wales. So, just for north Wales, under our £56 million full fibre roll-out, we've already provided access to full fibre broadband to 8,869 premises in the six north Wales counties, and working very closely with the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, connected campuses and connected corridor projects.