HC Deb 18 September 2003 vol 410 cc1068-70
18. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

What steps she is taking to increase the number of women employed in service industries; and if she will make a statement. [130836]

The Deputy Minister for Women and Equality (Jacqui Smith)

It is a pleasure to answer the hon. Gentleman's questions twice in one hour. Action to make work pay and to help parents balance work and family life will promote employment opportunities for women across the labour market, including service industries. For example, 70 per cent. of those benefiting from the national minimum wage are women, and we estimate that the duty on employers to consider seriously requests for flexible working will enable 55,000 mothers to return to work.

Michael Fabricant

I thank the Minister for that answer. We will probably get on better in this second session than in the first one. Does she agree that the appointment of Barbara Cassani as the chief executive of the British Olympic Association bid is a good example of how women can play an important role in service industries? What steps is the Department taking to increase the aspiration of young women going into business not to go into service industries to work at checkouts in places like Waitrose, or even, dare I say, into hairdressing, but to go into areas such as banking and the promotion of Britain?

Jacqui Smith

I share many of the hon. Gentleman's—

Mr. Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield)

— hairdressers.

Jacqui Smith

No, but I share his view that hairdressing is an important and honourable profession. We must be careful not to denigrate the areas of work that women go into, although we must make sure that they are getting proper training and proper pay. The hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) makes an important point about women in leadership positions. One of the issues that concerns us is how we can ensure that more women get into our boardrooms, where their contribution in a leadership role would be good for businesses, good for their profile, and as the hon. Gentleman points out, good for other women going into business and aspiring to the higher levels. The hon. Gentleman is right: we can certainly agree on that today.

Mrs. Anne Campbell (Cambridge)

Does my hon. Friend agree that this Government's record on increasing the availability of child care as well as introducing working tax credits has done more than anything else in recent history to improve the employability of women not only in the service industries, but in higher paid jobs in professional and manufacturing industries?

Jacqui Smith

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. Of course, it is not only about aspirations for women to be able to enter the workplace, but about taking action, as this Government have been willing to do with respect to child care, the new deal for lone parents and partners, the child tax credit and the support that we are giving to women entrepreneurs, which will make a difference for women in the choice that they can make about whether they work. That is good for those women and our economy and businesses, and our society as a whole.