§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the administrative arrangements within his Department relating to(a) the Women's National Commission and (b) the Women's Unit. [64091]
§ Mr. KilfoyleThe Women's Unit (WU) supports the Ministers for Women in ensuring that the interests of women are taken into account throughout Government. The Women's National Commission (WNC) is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) which carries out an agreed annual work programme to help provide Government with the informed opinion of women through its member organisations which together represent more than 8 million women.
The WU and WNC moved to the Cabinet Office following the Cabinet reshuffle last July.
The Minister for Women, the right hon. Baroness Jay, carries Ministerial responsibility for the work of the Women's Unit and the Women's National Commission. The spokesperson in the House on women's issues is my right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health.
However, the Cabinet Office provides office accommodation and services for WU and WNC staff, the majority of whom are on loan to the Cabinet Office from a number of Whitehall departments. For line management purposes they report to Cabinet Office senior management.
The Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office is the accounting officer responsible for WU and WNC expenditure. The Director of the Women's Unit holds delegated responsibility for the budget.
The WNC has recently been subject to a quinquennial review and a report of the review's findings will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.