§ 14. Vera BairdTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that the talent pool of UK directors is sufficiently diverse. [177766]
§ Jacqui SmithFollowing the publication of the Higgs and Tyson reports, and the "Brighter Boards" booklet last year, my Department organised a series of roundtable meetings with leading companies in order to raise awareness about the case for greater diversity on boards and to gather examples of pod practice.
558WWe have also commissioned research to assess the current representation of directors from diverse backgrounds on FTSE 100 boards, and supported the creation of registers for board positions, co-ordinated by the appropriate professional and affiliated bodies.
We are currently consulting the Financial Reporting Council and a range of business and other organisations on how best to build on these initiatives and will be making an announcement later in the year.