Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of members of the judiciary are (a) men and (b) women.

General judicial diversity information is in the public domain and is available on the judiciary website: http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications/judicial-diversity-statistics-2014/

This Government takes judicial diversity very seriously and has taken steps to improve representation, while still appointing the best people for the job.

There are a number of measures we have put in place to date, including the introduction of the equal merit provision, which takes diversity into account between two equally merited candidates; extending salaried part time working to the high court and working with the judiciary, Judicial Appointments Commission and representative groups to undertake outreach work, mentoring and support for potential candidates from diverse backgrounds.

We have already seen some positive changes, between 2009 and 2013 women made up nearly half of all judicial appointments. But we recognise there is still more to do, particularly at the higher end which is why we will continue to work with all concerned towards a judiciary that reflects the society it serves.