§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on progress since April 2000 in meeting the public service agreement target for promoting the needs of women in society; [21258]
(2) in pursuit of the PSA target on women's interests, by what means his Department has involved the Treasury in realising the potential of women in addressing the productivity gap. [21259]
§ Mrs. RocheThere is no public service agreement target for promoting the needs of women in society nor is there a public service agreement on women's interests. However, the Government are committed to bringing about practical improvements to women's lives that benefit society as a whole. The Women and Equality Unit, a cross-cutting unit within the Cabinet Office, supports the Ministers for Women in delivering these changes.
335WFor example, next year I will be running a series of seminars to encourage more women to take up public appointments.