§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what(a) resources and (b) programme money was provided to the Women's Unit for (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 1998–99. [45796]
§ Ms RuddockA new Women's Unit was established in this Department with effect from 6 May 1997. Five civil servants from the Sex and Race Equality Division of the Department for Education and Employment were transferred to this Department to establish the Unit together with an annual budget of £165,000. The actual expenditure for the Women's Unit for 1997–98 was £565,202.
The allocation made for the Women's Unit for the period 1998/99 is £1,130,004.
These higher figures demonstrate this Government's commitment to ensuring that there is an effective and adequately resourced Women's Unit to prioritise women's interests at the heart of Government.
The Women's Unit does not have a programme budget of its own, although its work does, of course, influence the programmes of Government Departments.