§ Mr. Randallasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives he is taking to encourage women to participate in the Government's information technology education programme.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerMy Department has provided financial support for a number of initiatives in this area. These include a series of computer courses organised by the Cambridge Women's Resource Centre designed to improve women's job prospects; equipping a special bus with computer hardware and other facilities which will visit schools throughout Great Britain, as part of the Women into Science Engineering Year (WISE) 1984, organised by the Equal Opportunities Commission, helping Croydon local education authority to develop an IT schools curriculum with emphasis on encouraging participation by girls; and joint funding with the Manpower Services Commission of information technology centres, a number of which have recently made special efforts to attract women trainees.