Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Flick Drummond and Maria Caulfield

Wednesday 7th February 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Flick Drummond (Meon Valley) (Con)]

4. What steps she is taking to help support women into science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs.

[The Minister for Women (Maria Caulfield)]

We are helping to get young girls and women into STEM sectors in three key ways: first, by increasing the number of young girls taking up courses. We have seen a 50% increase in the number of undergraduate STEM courses taken up by young women. Secondly, this week is National Apprenticeship Week, and 70% of jobs are now accessed through an apprenticeship, which is helping young women get into STEM careers. Thirdly, we are helping women with experience of working in STEM who have left the profession to return to the workplace with our STEM returners project.

[Mrs Drummond]

University technical colleges are a good place for young women to start in STEM. I welcome the new UTC in Southampton, which will provide the extra places that Portsmouth UTC is unable to offer. Some 6,000 girls attend UTCs around the country, of whom 82% go on to apprenticeships, university or straight into employment—mostly into STEM careers. Does my hon. Friend agree that UTCs provide a great start to a career in STEM, and that the proposal for UTC sleeves in secondary schools will help more girls into STEM careers?

[Maria Caulfield]

I absolutely agree. University technical colleges provide an excellent experience for young people, not just academically but in providing technical skills. They have excellent links with industry, which provides great work experience for those pupils. I am pleased that the young people in my hon. Friend’s constituency have such great options for UTC provision.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Flick Drummond and Maria Caulfield

Tuesday 11th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Maria Caulfield]

I thank my hon. Friend for his work in this space and I apologise for the delay in publishing the consultation. I met him along with a Justice Minister, and I assure him that we hope to publish it very soon.

[Mrs Flick Drummond (Meon Valley) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Flick Drummond and Maria Caulfield

Wednesday 30th November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Flick Drummond (Meon Valley) (Con)]

T7. Will the Minister update the House on what the Government are doing to support women starting up small businesses?

[Maria Caulfield]

I thank my hon. Friend for her work in this area. It is crucial that we get more women starting up their own businesses. We anticipate that that would bring in £250 billion to the UK economy. The taskforce that we asked Anne Boden to lead will make recommendations to Government in the new year. We know that venture capital is a huge problem stopping women starting a new business: for every pound of venture capital given to a new business, only a penny goes to women, whereas 89p goes to men.