Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Fawcett Society Sex and Power 2020, published on 13 January; and what steps they are taking to address the reported inequality in senior jobs held in the UK by women and minority groups.

We have noted this report and will take its findings into consideration. It is vital that women and all ethnicities are able to fully contribute across politics, public life and all business sectors. Progress is being made, but there is more to do. Companies with diverse workforces perform better and an inclusive economic policy is vital to the success of our Industrial Strategy.

We urge our largest companies to lead from the front on this issue, to reap the economic and social benefits, by taking up the recommendations of the Government commissioned and supported Hampton-Alexander and Parker Reviews, championing greater leadership diversity.

Women now hold a higher percentage of senior leadership positions than ever before, with over 30% female board members across the FTSE350 for the first time and no all-male boards in the FTSE100. We surveyed FTSE350 companies last year to take stock of the ethnic diversity of their boards and will be publishing the results early this year.