Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the study by Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business that gender diversity benefits do not materialise in organisations where internal competition is prevalent.

We are grateful to Lord Taylor for raising this; officials are considering the findings within the wider evidence base on women in business. We know that supportive workplace cultures are an important factor in progressing female career development.

Our voluntary initiative Think, Act, Report promotes gender equality at work and has created a vast community of best practice on maximising female talent in the workplace. 300 businesses representing organisations of all sizes and sectors across Britain are signed up to the principles it embodies; collectively they employ over 2.5 million people.