The Scottish Education Minister, Helen Liddell, launched an initiative which encourages businesses to give computers to schools, rather than throwing them away when new equipment is bought.

"Every year Scottish businesses replace thousands of computers which could still play a valuable role in quickly extending the availability of computers in Scottish schools. As well as helping Scottish schools, extending the working life of computers will also have environmental benefits," the minister said.

Mrs Liddell announced that the Royal Bank of Scotland would be launching the scheme with a donation of 1,000 computers a year.

The government wants industry to support the development of the Grid for Learning

The bank's chairman, Viscount Younger of Leckie, said that the company would also be paying for the machines to be refurbished and will give a three year warranty for over a third of the computers - "ensuring that schools in deprived areas will receive these computers free of charge".

The education minister emphasised the contribution the recycled computers would make to the development of the National Grid for Learning.

"The government's plans for the National Grid for Learning are intended to bring the benefits of modern information and communications technology to all pupils and students. £62 million has been committed to the development of the Grid throughout Scotland," said the minister.

The project is intended to provide machines which are sufficiently modern to still be useful to schools. Guidelines for the scheme require that the computers are: