Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when an update report from the Women's Business Council will be published; and whether the work of the Council will address issues regarding female entrepreneurship in addition to its work on the gender pay gap.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the work of the Women’s Business Council, has been paused. This was to enable the Government to focus on managing the crisis. In light of these exceptional circumstances, there are no plans for an annual report from the Council in 2020.

As the Government now moves to introduce a raft of business recovery measures, I have been speaking to a wide range of individuals, including female entrepreneurs and the Chair of the Women’s Business Council. I have been keen to get their insight into, and their support on, how best to improve opportunities for women in the world of work, as well as how to stimulate increased female entrepreneurship right across the country.

Unlocking women’s potential is a key priority following the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and I remain committed to helping more women to start and expand their own businesses.