Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Ford Excerpts

Thursday 17th May 2018 Commons Chamber

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con)]

1. What steps the Government are taking to encourage more women to take up STEM careers.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Minister for Women and Equalities, on her debut at the Dispatch Box in this capacity I think: Penny Mordaunt.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Penny Mordaunt)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am delighted to be here in my new role as Minister for Women and Equalities on International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, and I hope all Members of this House will show their support to that cause today.

The Government have committed in our careers strategy to improving information and guidance on STEM careers. We are also raising awareness of the range of careers that STEM qualifications offer.

[Vicky Ford]

I welcome the Minister to her new responsibilities and thank her for her commitment to women studying science and maths.

In Britain the percentage of women doing engineering is the worst in Europe: fewer than one in five of those studying physics A-level are female. I am going straight from here to the Institute of Physics. Will the Minister back up the Government’s words with action: break the deadlock and support prizes and grants for girls studying physics?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I will certainly do that. My hon. Friend can take that message very strongly to the meeting she is about to attend, and I thank her for the work she is doing to promote these careers and qualifications to girls. We fund the Stimulating Physics Network, which provides schools with the means to improve progression to physics A-level. The network provides activities specifically to increase the proportion of girls taking physics A-level.