§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy towards Recital 22 of Council Decision 2002/177/EC (0J L60, 1 Mar 02), on making visible a gender perspective across all pillars. [57905]
§ Malcolm WicksI have been asked to reply.
Council Decision 2202/177/EC, dated 18 February 2002, is on the 'guidelines for member states employment policies for the year 2002'. Recital 22 states that member states should strengthen their efforts to include and make visible a gender perspective across all the pillars (of the Employment Guidelines). This Recital clarifies the intention of the Council, and reflects the wishes of the European Parliament, that gender equality should be a horizontal objective for member states when they take the Guidelines into account in their national employment policies.
The UK Government fully supports the principle that a concern for gender equality needs to be reflected across the full range of employment policy. The Government principally achieves that outcome through the Policy Appraisal for Equal Treatment Guidelines, issued to all Departments in November 1998, and through the Gender Impact Assessment framework, which will be produced during 2002–03.
568WThe website of the Women and Equality Unit of the Cabinet Office publicises this activity, which is also reported on in the UK Employment Action Plan 2002, along with a gender breakdown of performance data. The LKP will be placed in the Library shortly.