Ms Caroline Henry:

We took on board the changes needed after the benefit programme. We stopped to review what was happening after training 157,000 people. We looked at how technology was changing and we looked to the community groups and the tutors at the time for feedback. Smartphones were the issue, as I think Ms Waters mentioned. A lot of people have technology in their pockets. They might not necessarily have a connection at home, but they have the facility and the wherewithal to do it. They just do not know how to use it. Part of the remit in doing the programme was to look at what citizens needed and what was going to make a difference to their daily lives. It was not about certification and it was not about getting them back in the workforce. It was about making a difference to their daily lives such as how they could save money and how they could engage with family. A lot of families had emigrated, particularly during the recession, and a lot of families had moved away. People needed to be able to stay in touch with them.

First, we looked at addressing the fear factor and not just at the anxiety. We looked at fear of being scammed online. We hear so much bad publicity about the dangers of being online that we do not necessarily hear the good news and what the benefits can be. That was part of the story that was missing. Certainly from my experience and having dealt with the programme for the last three years, some of the good news stories are fantastic. One does not hear them, but they make a huge difference to people's lives and it is something that we are conscious of and take on board, particularly with what Ms Waters said in relation to working with communities and the hard-to-reach people.

Also in devising the programme, we took on board what was said about the need people have. While the programme looks to address the fear and give people the basic skill, we also look to give the four hours of training to meet their needs, what it is they are interested in and what is going to make a difference to them. Part of the programme can be tailored to the farming community, and that is where the ten hours is based towards the farming package and what they can do online. That is what is going to interest them.

There are other community groups and maybe book clubs which want to know how to download books, how to read online and stuff like that. It is tailored to meet the needs of the citizens, and certainly in my experience some of the stories have been fantastic and it is making a difference but it is not enough. On its own it is not going to work. We are going to have to collaborate and move forward, but it is about getting the citizens to be engaged.