Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Gibb and Damian Green

Monday 7th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gibb]

As the hon. Lady will know, there is a consultation taking place with the Home Office on these very issues, and it will report in due course.

[Damian Green (Ashford) (Con)]

One of the traditional problems with getting more students to study STEM subjects has been the difficulty of persuading girls to take such subjects up to A-level and beyond. Does the Minister have any evidence to show that policies to encourage more girls to take up these very important subjects are working?

[Mr Gibb]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Government recently set out an ambition to see a 20% increase in the number of girls’ entries to science and maths A-levels by 2020. We established, with industry, the Your Life campaign, which is designed to encourage young people, and especially girls, to choose maths and physics. We have seen a huge increase in the number of girls taking A-levels in physics, from 5,800 in 2010 to 6,800 this year, and in maths, from 28,000 in 2010 to 31,000 this year. However, there is still more to do.