§ Ms Janet AndersonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to measure and evaluate the effect of his Department's policies on women. [5488]
Mr. John M. TaylorIn July of this year the model guidance on policy appraisal for equality treatment was revised and circulated at Cabinet level for Departments to adapt to their own circumstances. A copy was placed in the Library of the House. This guidance requires officials to identify policy issues which might impact differentially on women and men, and other groups, to assess whether this is justified in policy terms and to adjust the policy if it is not. Advice based on that model has been issued to all senior officials within the Department of Trade and Industry.
The recent Government report "One Year On" outlines action taken by Government to benefit women since the world conference on women, and also includes baseline statistics against which future progress can be measured.