§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she keeps a list of possible nominees for public bodies and committees to which she is entitled to nominate; how many names are now before her; and how many of them are women.
§ Mrs. Hart:The public bodies and committees to which I make appointments cover many aspects of overseas development. They range from the well-known Commonwealth Development Corporation to my small and highly specialised Trypanosomiasis Panel. It is certainly my aim that they should have more women members. My hon. Friend will appreciate that women with experience and qualifications in these overseas and specialised fields are not easy to identify, for few women in the past have rarely had the opportunity to acquire them.