A recent poll suggests 20 per cent of people in the UK cannot use e-mail.

The survey, conducted by ICM, claims that one in five people do not own a computer, despite broadband penetration of about 65 per cent.

The report found a correlation between general social depravation and 'digital exclusion', it was also noted that seven per cent of adults claim their lack of IT skills "greatly restricts" what they can do.

People from the north-east are the least skilled with computers whereas London has the highest levels of proficiency.

Gordon Frazer, managing director of Microsoft UK, told the Times: "Digital exclusion is very real - it's definitely a social issue that needs to be tackled."

Microsoft has written a digital literacy curriculum that will be implemented across 2,000 UK online centres.

According to the International Herald Tribune, the Dutch are the most computer literate people in Europe, helped in part by a tax break for computer purchases.