Gender-balanced Parliament and Male Primogeniture Debate
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Baroness Prashar
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Gender-balanced Parliament and Male Primogeniture
Baroness Prashar Excerpts(3 years, 8 months ago)
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Lord True (Con)
My Lords, a review is not currently under way. As I have explained, this is a complex issue and careful consideration will be needed.
Baroness Prashar (CB) [V]
While it is encouraging that the Prime Minister supports a 50:50 gender-balanced Parliament, it is very disappointing that progress has been so slow, and we still have a law that discriminates against women. What steps will be taken to ensure that women from minority communities are not left behind in whatever initiative is taken in this direction?
Lord True (Con)
The noble Baroness makes a very important point. Improving the diversity of Parliament is something to which I believe all political parties assent, and this Government no less than any other. Beyond your Lordships’ House, where we must sometimes look, there are now 220 female Members of Parliament; that is more women in the House of Commons than ever before. That is surely progress.