Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the widening of the Women in Finance Charter to cover other sectors of the economy.

It is the Government’s aspiration to see diversity across the UK economy. A diverse workforce is good for business – it is good for customers, for profitability and workplace culture.

HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter reflects our ambition to see an improved gender balance in the financial services industry. So far, 300 financial services firms have signed the Charter, committing to implement strategic actions to improve their gender balance at a senior level.

The AAT MP Survey Results positively highlights the need to take action to improve gender diversity across all sectors, as we work towards gender parity as a society.

We recognise that there is still further work to be done to address the gender imbalance in the wider economy, and the need to adopt an industry-led approach so that new initiatives are tailored to the issues each sector is facing. We are pleased to have already seen other sectors take action to improve their gender balance and establish their own initiatives including the Women in Maritime Pledge (the forerunner to the Women in Maritime Charter), the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter and the Tech Talent Charter.

We are supportive of this approach and encourage other sectors to consider what further action they can take to improve their gender balance. We will continue to focus on strengthening industry-led work in this area, and sharing knowledge and best practice across sectors, to maximise their impact on the wider economy.