Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has plans to mark the centenary of women getting the right to vote in 1918.

The Women’s Networks across the Defra group will promote a series of activities and events throughout 2018 to celebrate the centenary of women getting the right to vote. These include the creation of a collage made from the images of women in environmental roles; network discussion sessions on equality; monthly ‘book clubs’; and the promotion of cross government and external suffrage events to encourage representation from Defra employees. We will use the centenary as the key theme of our International Women’s Day celebrations in March and celebrate the men involved in the suffrage movement on International Men’s day. Planning is also underway for an event later in the year to celebrate women in the Civil Service including a series of speakers reflecting on the past, present and aspirations for the future.

In addition to this, Defra and the Environment Agency are taking part in the suffrage flag relay and will host the flag in Cornwall, Bristol Warrington and York. We are also considering how we can participate in the cross government building light up in December.