A program in Scotland that provides free iPads and laptops to people who are “digitally excluded” will be suspended to help fund council pay deals.
In a letter seen by BBC Scotland News, Finance Secretary Shona Robison said £10m would be saved by pausing funding for Connecting Scotland’s digital devices program in 2024/25. The project, which was set up to help people get online during the Covid pandemic, has delivered free internet access and more than 61,000 devices since 2020. The Scottish Government worked with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to devise and deliver rapid support for the Connected Scotland project.
However, now Scottish government funding for other projects including flood defenses and the expansion of free school meals will also be diverted to fund council wage settlements, reports BBC Scotland.
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