Oral Answers to Questions

Thérèse Coffey Excerpts

Thursday 31st October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Dr Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)]

Question 7, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

We are on Question 5. Does the hon. Lady wish to intervene on that?

[Dr Coffey]

No.

[Mr Speaker]

Fair enough.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)]

7. What steps she is taking to increase the representation of women on the boards of public bodies.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (Jo Swinson)]

The Government have an ambitious aim that 50% of new public appointees should be women by the end of this Parliament. We are modernising recruitment practices and this approach is working. Our figures show that 37% of public appointments during 2012-13were women.

[Dr Coffey]

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Will she look into ensuring that head-hunters who are employed by various Departments across Government are signed up to the voluntary code of conduct?

[Jo Swinson]

My hon. Friend raises a very good point. The Government are working with 52 different firms that have signed up to the voluntary code of conduct. Indeed, my right hon. Friend the Business Secretary has appointed an experienced diversity champion, Charlotte Sweeney, to review the effectiveness of the code and report back to him in the new year. My hon. Friend is right to raise the issue of Departments that employ head-hunting firms for public appointments, but it is made absolutely clear that one of the key attributes that they need to look for is diversity.