Minister for Women (Hansard, 20 November 1997)

§ Ms Ruddock

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is Minister for Women and I support her in that role. We are committed to building stronger links between women and Government, and delivering policy commitments for women.

We are creating a new bond of trust between women and Government by opening up a new dialogue with women.

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The new dialogue comprises two main initiatives—improving and extending the way in which Government communicates with women's organisations; and looking at ways to conduct a dialogue with women who are not in organisations.

The traditional mechanism by which Government consult with women's organisations is the Women's National Commission, which was established in 1969. We are currently conducting a review of the Commission. We are also looking at ways to establish a wider dialogue with women throughout the country.

We are taking steps to ensure that women's interests are placed at the very heart of Government. This means integrating women's concerns and interests into the policy-making process—often called "mainstreaming".

We believe that it is essential that women are properly represented in public life. My Women's Unit is working closely with the Public Appointments Unit at the Cabinet Office on developing a joint strategy to increase the number of women on public bodies.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I work closely together on the priority areas we have identified as Ministers for Women. The three priorities we have set are child care; promoting family-friendly employment policies and practices; and tackling violence against women.

Since my appointment, I have focused my work on taking forward each of our priority areas. On Monday 17 November I was engaged on such official business.

In addition, I have been fulfilling the UK Government's international obligations on women; and travelling within Britain talking to women and listening to their views and concerns. I have met representatives of all the major women's NGOs as well as meeting and talking to a large number of women from a variety of personal, professional and ethnic backgrounds.

We are working closely with colleagues across Government to deliver on these and all our commitments to women.

Shortly after taking issue, the Government established a powerful Cabinet sub-committee on women's issues to ensure an effective cross-Departmental approach to issues of concern to women.

The current staff profile of our Women's Unit, the civil servants who support us, is in full-time equivalents as follows:

1 Grade 5 (Head of the Women's Unit)
3 Grade 7s
2.7 SEOs
1 HEO(D)
5.3 HEOs
6 EOs
2 AOs
2AAs
1 Personal Secretary

Four of these 24 staff with responsibility for women's issues transferred from the Department for Education and Employment.

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I am supported by a Private Office consisting of one HEO, one EO and one AO. The estimated annual staffing costs of my Private Office are £73,000. Other overheads are not identified separately. The estimated annual costs of my Ministerial car and driver are £46,000.

Under the terms of my employment I am not entitled to severance pay.