Education: Gender Equality

Lord Grocott Excerpts

Tuesday 10th March 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge]

In relation to specific areas where girls have historically not been entering sectors of employment, we are looking at encouraging them. There is a particular issue around STEM qualifications, so we are working hard to break down those barriers. We have seen a 31% increase in the number of girls taking A-level STEM subjects. I accept that the rate of girls’ participation in those subjects is not what we want it to be, but we are also seeing a rise in female STEM undergraduates, so we are going in the right direction.

[Lord Grocott (Lab)]

One area of inequality that is very much a matter for this House is the question of hereditary Peers.

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Lord Grocott]

The Minister will know that, of the 216 names on the current list of hereditary Peers who are eligible to stand in by-elections, 215 are men. Without being too extreme in these matters, does the Minister think that the Government ought to support any measure—I have one in particular in mind—that would move us towards greater transparency?

[Baroness Berridge]

The noble Lord has had undue success in the ballot for his Private Member’s Bill, and your Lordships’ House will have time on Friday to discuss those matters.