It was also aimed at bridging Britain's digital divide - the increasing gap between those who have access to, and the skills to use, information technology, and those who do not.
[1] At the end of the lease period, the employee was given the option to purchase the computer at its market value, which was typically £10 at that time.
[2] On 23 March 2006, in his UK Budget, Chancellor Gordon Brown announced the removal of HCI tax exemption for employer-loaned computers.
The Treasury of the United Kingdom made initial claims that the scheme's consumers were being dominated by higher-rate taxpayers.
The policy was aimed towards helping approximately 1.4 million children who did not have access to a broadband connection at home.