Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 28th June 2018 Commons Chamber

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

1. What steps the Government are taking with businesses to ensure that women are better represented in the science, technology and engineering industries.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Penny Mordaunt)]

The Government are working with business to encourage more women to consider following a science, technology, engineering and maths career path. We are doing this through a range of interventions, from major communication campaigns like the Year of Engineering to specific in-school activities like STEM ambassadors.

[Andrew Rosindell]

Will the Minister join me in commending the Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls in Romford? Retired engineers go into the school to tutor the young girls, particularly in the STEM industries. Does she agree that that is a great way to help young people, and particularly females, into this industry?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I pay tribute to that specific example and to my hon. Friend, who has championed such work in his constituency. Quite often we need to inform people not just about the career possibilities but about the pleasure those careers have given people. The STEM ambassadors programme, which is a network of 30,000 volunteers from a very wide range of backgrounds and employers, is vital to getting the message across.