§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to increase the number of women in senior positions which require professional qualifications. [134735]
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§ Ms HewittWe are working in partnership with organisations to increase the number of women in senior positions across the labour market, including women with professional qualifications.
Earlier this year, I asked Derek Higgs to look into the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors and have welcomed his proposals on how to widen the pool from which non-executive directors are drawn, which could bring more women into the boardroom.
Following his findings I then asked Laura Tyson from the London Business School to look specifically at how we might encourage greater diversity of directors on boards. Her recommendations include more rigorous and transparent selection processes; training for board members and measurement of board diversity.
We recognise that we must work in partnership with business to achieve change. That is why I am meeting with some of the Chairs and Chief Executives of the FTSE 100 to encourage greater diversity on their boards and to ask them to consider what other steps they might take.
In April this year the Government published A Strategy for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology to improve the position of women in SET in employment, education and policy-making in the United Kingdom. The Strategy is our response to the "SET FAIR report" from Baroness Greenfield which was published in November 2002.
Our approach builds on mainstream policies with a series of action points in employment, education, and science and it draws support from recent measures to secure gender equality. It is aimed at academia, industry and public service equally. It sets out new initiatives which we believe will contribute significantly to improving the participation of women in SET. (http://www2.set4women.gov.uk/set4women/research/the_greenfield_response.htm)
We want women to achieve their full potential whatever career they choose and we are committed to encouraging more women into politics, local government and public appointments. Within the Civil Service women comprise just over 26 per cent. at the senior civil servant level.