Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to run a communications campaign aimed at employers to emphasise the economic benefits of retaining women employees.

We are currently considering recommendations from the Women and Equalities Select Committee on Government communications activity in relation to female participation in the labour market. We will respond to these recommendations shortly.

The Government supports the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Working Forward Campaign, which was launched in September 2016. This national campaign, led by business, aims to make workplaces the best they can be for pregnant women and new mothers. The campaign promotes the benefits to business of attracting and retaining mothers in the workplace.