§ 14. Charlotte AtkinsTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of public appointments were filled by women over the last five years. [55944]
§ Mr. LeslieAt 31 March 2001, as set out in "Public Bodies 2001", women held 34 per cent. of all of the appointments concerned, compared to 31 per cent. on 1 September 1996.
The Government remain committed to the principal that women and men should hold an equal proportion of all appointments. To this end, each Department has published plans for increasing diversity in public appointments by 2005 and, specifically, increasing the proportion held by women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people. These plans are contained in "Public Bodies: Opening up Public Appointments 2002–2005", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
If the targets set out in these plans are met, this will mean that, by the end of 2005 and for the majority of Departments, women should hold 45–50 per cent. of the appointments to the bodies they sponsor.
In addition, the Women and Equality Unit is currently running a series of regional seminars, which aim to encourage women who currently hold a local or regional public appointment to apply for a national appointment. Additional seminars have been planned for ethnic minority women, business women, women in journalism and the trade unions.