Intel has released a statement backing proposals by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown to give free laptops to low income families in the UK.

The Home Access scheme was initiated across the nation yesterday and follows research that shows that pupils with a PC at home could improve their GSCE results by two grades.

It will allow around 270,000 families with children in years three and nine to apply for a grant to buy a PC and broadband connection from approved suppliers.

“Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction. We fully support the Government’s commitment to give access to technology to some of the most disadvantaged segments of society,” commented Intel’s head of public sector and member of the Digital Inclusion Taskforce, Tristan Wilkinson.

“But we need to act quickly and much more work needs to be done if we are to deliver the benefits of technology to all of the 1.3m low income families that are in need of assistance, to enable those children to reach their full potential. A recent report from the Digital Inclusion Champion identified ‘Where children have 1 or more GCSEs at A* - C, computer ownership increases chance of getting 5 good GCSEs by 9 percentage points.’
 
“There is a clear and proven linkage today that access to technology can improve the educational outcomes for many children and that to deny that opportunity to low income families can have the adverse effect and make entering the workplace even harder.”