Oral Answers to Questions

Matt Warman Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2015 Commons Chamber

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Matt Warman (Boston and Skegness) (Con)]

14. What steps the Government are taking to encourage more girls and women to take up careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Nicky Morgan)]

We want girls to be able to choose from the broadest range of careers. The new careers and enterprise company will support greater engagement between employers, schools and colleges to ensure girls get the inspiration and guidance they need to succeed in working life. Parents also have an important role to play through publications such as “Your daughter’s future”.

[Matt Warman]

I thank my right hon. Friend for her answer. In my rural constituency of Boston and Skegness, science and technology plays an ever more important part in agriculture. What opportunities are we taking to make sure that the doors opened to women and girls by studying science and technology are obvious in the rural economy in particular?

[Nicky Morgan]

I welcome my hon. Friend to his place; I do not think I have heard him speak in the Chamber before. He is absolutely right: rural areas contribute £210 billion to the UK economy. The Government are funding the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to work with private sector employers to support those in low-paid, low-skilled work into higher-paid, higher-skilled work. In phase 1, that funding has supported more than 200 women, who are under-represented in agriculture, land-based engineering and environmental conservation industries.