§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been(a)put out to consultation and (b)published. [46483]
§ Dr. WhiteheadAs an employer we monitor the impact on women of our recruitment, appraisal and promotion processes.
We are continuing to make use of consultations, research projects and disaggregated statistics to identify the impact of policy on women. Specific examples include consultation of various women's organisations on smoking in taxis and the development of a public transport gender audit, which was published in March 2000. Other initiatives include the requirement to promote social inclusion (including meeting the transport needs of women and other social groups) in the Department's assessment of provisional Local Transport Plans.
84WOur policies are subject to evaluation and will pick up differential impacts on specific groups, particularly where they are disadvantaged. Some policies do have intentional differential gender impacts; for example, the priority afforded to pregnant women and lone parent households (the majority of which are headed by women) in the allocation of council housing.