HC Deb 20 March 2002 vol 382 c431W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff are employed in the Women and Equality Unit of the Cabinet Office. [43112]

Mrs. Roche

The Women"s Unit was created in 1998. Its staff for the first financial year of its existence (1998–99) was 45. The unit was renamed the Women and Equality Unit following last year"s general election in order to recognise its new policy responsibilities across the United Kingdom for gender equality, co-ordination of sexual orientation policy and its sponsorship of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Its current staffing level stands at 68.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the findings were of the joint benchmarking study of the Women and Equality Unit of the Cabinet Office and the Swedish Government. [43111]

Mrs. Roche

The publication "Women as Entrepreneurs in Sweden and the UK: Different Perspectives" built upon a bilateral initiative between Sweden and the UK on women"s entrepreneurship.

The publication identified the sharing of good practice and supporting joint projects between the two countries, as effective tools to encourage female entrepreneurship.

The study showed that, in the UK, the reasons for starting a business, the type of business run and the chosen method of accessing finance were markedly different between men and women. The reasons for these differences need to be reflected in the support provided.