HC Deb 17 July 2000 vol 354 cc87-8W
Mr. Allan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of the(a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to Non-departmental Public Bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129841]

Mr. Wills

[holding answer 11 July 2000]: The total number of appointments and re-appointments to DfEE Non-departmental Public Bodies since 1 May 1997 is 410. Of these, 141 have been women, 15 of which have been paid appointments (25 per cent. of all paid appointments and re-appointments) and 126 have been unpaid (36 per cent. of all unpaid appointments and re-appointments).

This Government are committed to increasing the representation of women in public life. In support of this, the Department has drawn up an action plan for increasing the number of women and ethnic minorities holding public appointments. The latest plans, together with the Government's overall plan, were published 24 May 2000 in "Quangos: Opening up Public Appointments 2000–2003", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.