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The London Household Survey found that 45 per cent of homes in London have Internet access, but those homes are much more likely to be occupied by people in the higher income brackets.

For example, in households with an income over £52,000, 80 per cent have access. As incomes drop, so do the percentages of homes that have access.

The report found that other factors which may have been thought to have an effect on access are in fact subsumed by income. 'Apparent differences in levels of home Internet access based on factors such as ethnicity, tenure or household composition,' says the Londoners on-line report, 'tend to disappear once income is controlled for.'

Similarly,

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age does not appear to be a dominant factor. Although far fewer people over 60 are online than those younger, this is largely down to them having no desire to surf and has little to do with income.

For some groups, Internet access appears to be particularly attractive. For example, at higher income levels single parent households are more likely to be connected than other homes with children. Having children is a factor in having, or wanting to have, access, whatever the income.

Access would also seem play an important role in the lives of people with disabilities. In wealthier households, access is more likely if there is a disabled person. As the report says, 'Perhaps this indicates that for people in these groups...being on-line from home is particularly useful. The real issue for both these groups is that being disabled or a lone parent is often associated with having a low household income.'

The GLA report is available as a PDF in both a short - Londoners on-line - and much longer - Connecting communities: tackling exclusion - form.