Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS document Female unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %, published on 21 April 2026, what steps he is taking to tackle the increase in female unemployment.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is committed to tackling the challenges women face in the labour market, whether they want to find a job, return to work, or progress in work, regardless of their background or stage of life. To support this commitment, the Government has appointed Mariella Frostrup as the Women’s Employment Ambassador, building on her work as the Menopause Employment Ambassador over the past 18 months.
The Department offers a range of employment support that women can benefit from. This includes the ‘Find a Job’ website, financial support through the Flexible Support Fund to help with interviews or starting work, and tailored, flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Alongside targeted job-search support, Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience.
Where appropriate, Work Coaches identify any skills gaps and signpost jobseekers to relevant training and provision, such as Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector-based work academy programmes, and free courses for jobs, as well as essential English, maths and digital skills.
As set out in the Child Poverty Strategy, the Government recognises that high childcare costs can affect parents’, and disproportionately women’s, decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours. Eligible UC customers can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work. In addition, eligible working parents can also access 30 hours a week of funded childcare through DfE’s Working Parent Entitlement.
From April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees have the option to produce and publish a voluntary action plan alongside their gender pay gap data, setting out how they will address workplace barriers for women.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times Ministers from her Department have attended UK conferences, trade shows and exhibitions in each year since 2023.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The requested information is not centrally held, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the ‘Future of TV Distribution’ stakeholder forum and the potential impact of its decision making on Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters. The lead department on this matter, DCMS, established the Future of TV Distribution stakeholder forum which took views from a range of broadcasters active in Wales, including S4C, the BBC and ITV. The forum also benefitted from the perspectives of a number of groups representing the interests of Welsh and UK-wide audiences, such as Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Digital Poverty Alliance and Silver Voices. Before any decisions are made, including in relation to Wales, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on digital terrestrial television as their primary means of watching television.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will give an update on the work of the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 2 March 2026 (UIN 114556).