Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on encouraging women to pursue careers in the rail industry.

No industry can afford to miss out on talent from any gender. The Department for Transport has set an ambition for women to represent at least 20% of new entrants to engineering and technical apprenticeships in the transport sector by 2020.

I am pleased that Crossrail is exceeding this: 27% of their apprentices are female.