§ Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bayasked Her Majesty's Government:
For each year for which statistics are available for FTSE 100 companies, what is (a) the number of women executive directors, and their percentage of total executive directors; (b) the number of companies with no women executive directors; (c) the number of women executive finance directors; and (d) the number of women executive directors who were not United Kingdom citizens; and what action they will take to increase the number of United Kingdom women executive directors in FTSE 100 companies. [HL960]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The Cranfield University School of Management 2003 Female FTSE report published in October 2003 established the following:
FTSE 100 (October) 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 Female-held seats 101 84 75 69 79 (executive and non-executive directorships) (8.6%) (7.2%) (6.4%) (5.8%) (6.3%) Female executive 17 15 10 11 13 directorships (3.7%) (3.0%) (2.0%) (2.0%) (1.99%) In 2003, 32 of the top FTSE 100 companies had no female directors, there were seven finance directors and 39 female directorships were held by non UK citizens. In 2003, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry commissioned Derek Higgs to report on how the quality, independence, and effectiveness of non-executive directors might be strengthened. Following the recommendations of this review the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry asked Dean Tyson from the London Business School to examine how companies might recruit directors from more diverse backgrounds in order to improve board effectiveness. Both these reports made a number of proposals which boards must consider how to apply in practice.
The Tyson report also made recommendations about director training and the measurement of board diversity. These are being pursued by government and business organisations.
99WAIn addition, since November, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Jacqui Smith, Minister for Industry and the Regions and Deputy Minister for Women and Equality have, in partnership with several leading companies, been holding roundtables with chairs, chief executives and senior figures from business to raise awareness about the business case for greater diversity on U K boards and to gather examples of good practice already in place. Our aim is to disseminate these best practice examples widely when the roundtable programme is finalised.