Improving access to UK online centres is giving more people in rural areas the chance to develop their IT skills, according to a report by the Countryside Agency.

Education secretary Charles Clarke said: "ICT is an increasingly important way of accessing services, information and e-learning in the 21st Century.

"The rural evaluation study has shown that UK online centres are successfully helping people in deprived rural areas develop their IT skills, and enabling everyone who wants it to have access to the Internet."

Forum Response: Countryside Agency

Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, said: "We have seen the positive impact these centres can have. They are reaching the most socially excluded groups in rural communities by using local centres such as village halls, pubs and even churches.

"Schemes like the Methodist Church in Hungerford and Ottery St Mary's 'Project Cosmic', a mobile unit reaching much of rural Devon and Somerset, are really helping local people.

"However, despite the positive impact, of such online centres, there are still hurdles to be overcome.

"The future sustainability of many rural ICT centres is uncertain because of high delivery costs, the difficulties of reaching small and scattered populations and poor broadband availability."