§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Minister for Women what her plans are for involvement in the Beijing Platform for Action, known as Beijing +10. [187535]
§ Ms HewittThe celebration and evaluation of the 10 years since the Beijing Platform for Action will be an integral part of the UK Government's work on gender equality in 2005. The 49th Session of the Commission for the Status for Women (CSW) at the United Nations in March 2005 will review and appraise the implementation of Beijing over the last 10 years. The cross-Whitehall UK Government delegation will actively participate at CSW. We have already begun feeding into this process, completing a United Nations questionnaire on progress made since 1995 in the UK (available at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk), which will feed into the UN Secretary-General's report. During the UK Presidency of the EU, July to December 2005, we will host a major European conference and a Ministerial Informal meeting to consider best practice across the EU in relation to national implementation of the Beijing Platform. The UK Government are a strong advocate of the Beijing Platform for Action and UN initiatives to further gender equality.