Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people appointed to public bodies reflect the diversity of the UK.

The Government is committed to making sure that these important opportunities are available to talented people across the UK. Work to support this includes a number of virtual and face-to-face events held across the UK and the phased rollout of a new digital system that will make it easier for anyone to apply for these roles. The Cabinet Office also publishes annual data on public appointments diversity. The latest figures, published on 21st October 2021, show that compared to the previous year there were more women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and people from outside London and the South East in these vital roles.