Oral Answers to Questions

Carol Monaghan Excerpts
Thursday 11th January 2018

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Gibb Portrait Nick Gibb
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My hon. Friend has almost answered the question for me. She is right that Rolls-Royce, Bombardier Transportation and Toyota have all pledged to support the Year of Engineering campaign through activities in schools, both nationwide and in the Derby area.

Carol Monaghan Portrait Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP)
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One of the biggest barriers to women and girls entering careers in engineering and physics is the perceptions and expectations of parents. What work is the Minister doing during the Year of Engineering to encourage parents to look at the career options?

Nick Gibb Portrait Nick Gibb
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The hon. Lady is quite right. We have been successful since 2010 because, in England, GCSE entries by girls in physics have risen from 50,600 in 2010 to 66,700 this year, and the number of girls entering A-level physics has risen from 5,800 in 2010 to 6,947 in 2017. Overall, the number of girls taking STEM A-levels has increased by 20% since 2010.