Women's Issues (Hansard, 20 May 1992)

§ Mr. Leighton
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what work she is doing to advance women's issues.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
Following the transfer of responsibility for co-ordinating Government policy on women's issues to my Department, I am setting up a small high level working group to advise me—in a personal capacity—on issues relevant to women's opportunities in the workplace and beyond. I shall also be chairing the new Ministerial Sub-Committee on Women's Issues, announced yesterday by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. I shall be considering through both these mechanisms particular areas where I shall be looking to achieve measurable improvements in women's progress.

§ Mrs. Angela Knight
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement about how she intends to fulfil her responsibility for co-ordinating Government action on issues of particular concern to women.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
I have today set up a small high level working group to advise me on some of the issues relevant to women's opportunities, both in the workplace and beyond, and to raise their public profile. The group who will report to me in a personal capacity, have a wealth of varied knowledge and experience. The group will supplement the work of the new Ministerial Sub-Committee on Women's Issues announced yesterday by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which I shall chair, and the work of the Women's National Commission which will continue to represent the concerns of women to the Government. I consider it important to have the views of all sections of society in order to develop effective policies on the range of matters that are important to women in their daily lives.
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The machinery now in place will also carry forward the work of the Advisory Committee on Women's Employment, which will not be reconstituted.