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1007895

	registered interest
	date	15/11/2018
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Candidates: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if her Department will take steps to help hold events in Northern Ireland to mark the 100th anniversary of women being allowed to stand for Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	191924
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>It is for the devolved administrations to decide whether, and how, they choose to mark the centenary.</p><p>The Northern Ireland Executive was provided £171,000. In the absence of Ministerial authority for grants to local groups, the civil service arranged a lecture series, a commemorative album as well as a number of exhibitions and workshops.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 22/11/2018 16:07:13 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1007896

	registered interest
	date	15/11/2018
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Equal Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to close the gender pay gap.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	191925
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>Under new government legislation over 10,000 employers reported their gender pay gaps this year. These regulations increase transparency, driving board level discussions and pushing employers to take real action to close the gap.</p><p>We are now working with employers to help them understand their gender pay gaps, and support them to put plans in place to tackle gaps.</p><p>Mandatory gender pay gap reporting is just one of the steps government has taken to tackle the drivers of the gap including:</p><ul><li>introducing Shared Parental Leave and Pay and running a £1.5 million campaign to promote the scheme to eligible parents.</li><li>extending the right to request flexible working and establishing a taskforce working with business to make flexible working a reality for all employees.</li><li>creating a £5 million fund to support women and men who have been out of the labour market for a long period to return to work.</li><li>spending around £6 billion on childcare support by 2019-20, around £3.5 billion of which is planned to be spent on free early education entitlements.</li></ul> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 22/11/2018 16:05:08 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1027212

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2018
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Equal Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to tackle low pay for women.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	202723
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>Everyone in the UK should have the opportunity to progress and fulfil their potential in employment, to benefit both the individual and the wider economy. Despite accounting for just under half of all employees in the UK, women are more likely to be in low paid work than men.</p><p>The Government has an aspiration to end low pay, and next year it will set out the Low Pay Commission’s remit from 2020 onwards.</p><p>The National Living Wage (NLW) benefits a higher proportion of women than men. In April 2019, the NLW will increase by 4.9% to £8.21. This is an increase to a full-time minimum wage worker’s annual earnings of over £690, making progress on the government’s objective for the NLW to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020.</p><p>We will be publishing a strategy in the Spring on gender equality and economic empowerment that will include consideration of how we can best support low paid women.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 20/12/2018 16:03:50 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1037122

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Cervical Cancer: Screening
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on making the NHS cervical screening programme available to women aged 18 years and over.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	205928
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2019 answer text <p>The best independent evidence shows that routine screening of women under 25 actually does more harm than good. Cervical cancer in women under the age of 25 is very rare and younger women often undergo natural and harmless changes in the cervix that screening would identify as abnormalities, resulting in many false negatives.</p><p>We offer vaccination to girls to protect against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which protects against 70 per cent of cervical cancers and which is expected to reduce the already low rates of cervical cancer in these young women and allow them to be protected for years to come.</p><p>Young women with symptoms of cervical cancer, largely unusual bleeding particularly after sex, should see their GP and be referred to a gynecologist if clinically appropriate.</p><p>My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities has no plans to discuss this issue with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care<em>.</em></p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 15/01/2019 17:39:22 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1037787

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what representations she has received on the work of (a) Home Start and (b) other charities providing support for young families and carers; and if she will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the provision of additional funding for those charities to enable more help to be given to people returning to work.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	206356
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2019 answer text <p>The government launched a £1.5 million grant fund in the private sector to support people to return to work. Our grant fund is enabling charities and other organisations to launch projects for people who are currently out of work due to caring responsibilities and want to return to permanent employment. Home-Start have previously applied for this GEO funding.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently announced further funding to support those with additional barriers to participating in the labour market – including people who speak little English, people with disabilities, and those who are homeless or have been victims of domestic abuse. GEO is scoping how best to deliver this and will engage closely with HMT in advance of the next spending review to decide whether and how further funding should be allocated to helping people return to work.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 15/01/2019 17:39:41 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

349185

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2015
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Easter: Confectionery
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had discussions with the owners of large stores on their policies on stocking Easter eggs containing Christian or biblical messages.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	1554
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>Neither the Minister for Women and Equalities nor I have had such discussions.</p><p>To the extent that this matter may concern equality law, statutory guidance about compliance with equality legislation covering Great Britain is issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. It is intended to give businesses and service providers the information they need to understand the law and meet their responsibilities. The guidance can be found at: <a href="http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/services-public-functions-and-associations-statutory-code-practice" target="_blank">http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/services-public-functions-and-associations-statutory-code-practice</a></p><p>Separate equality legislation applies in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 16/06/2015 15:34:15 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

442761

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2016
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Females: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to promote opportunities for women in rural areas to participate in public life.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	21030
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2016 answer text <p>The Government believes that public life is strengthened by the participation of people with different skills, backgrounds and experiences, from right across the country. As a country we cannot afford to waste the talents of half our population and that is why we must ensurewomenare better representedacross all walks of life, including those from rural areas.</p><p>The 2015 General Election was a great step forward for women’s representation. We now have the highest number of female MPs in Parliament and a third of our Cabinet is made up of women. We know women continue to be under-represented on local councils; that is why schemes such as the Be a Councillor campaign, which has been run by the Local Government Association since 2012, are so important. The Government is also committed to increasing the diversity of public appointments and has set the aspiration that 50% of new appointments should go to women.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 12/01/2016 17:11:47 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

513747

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2016
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Business: Equality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to encourage big businesses to promote gender equality and provide models for small and medium-sized enterprises to follow.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	34340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2016 answer text <p>The Government is committed to full gender equality in the workplace, and we are introducing mandatory gender pay gap reporting for larger employers from April 2017.</p><p>We will support all employers to do this with a £500,000 package including: UK wide conference events, free online software and targeted support for male-dominated sectors. Employers of any size can join the voluntary “Think, Act, Report” initiative which has around 300 members leading the way on gender equality.</p><p>The Women’s Business Council has an SME representative to ensure good practice is promulgated throughout the wider business community, including a toolkit for businesses to support older women in the workplace.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 26/04/2016 16:13:30 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

513748

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2016
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Business: Equality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions has the Government had with businesses on reducing discrimination and promoting equal opportunities.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	34339
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2016 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring equal opportunities, so that everyone can reach their full potential and is working with business to achieve this. The Government has done so in a number of ways, including: The Hampton and Alexander review of women on boards and the chair of the Women’s Business Council, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith will lead a review of issues faced by businesses in developing black and minority ethnic (BAME) talent, and access to the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>The Women’s Business Council, established in 2012, has produced a range of products to encourage older women to enter and stay on in the workplace. The Women’s Business Council has also been active in working with the finance sector to address some of the barriers facing some BAME women entrepreneurs. The Government has worked closely with employers to develop a range of measures that will help promote gender equality in workplaces and will require all companies with at least 250 employees to report their gender pay gaps. It is expected that employers will publish the required information from April 2017.</p><p>This builds upon actions already undertaken by the Government including a series of equality roadshows with the British Chambers of Commerce. These roadshows highlighted the benefits and challenges of diverse workforces for business whilst helping the Government shape guidance for business on older workers, women and disabled people in the workplace to tackle discrimination.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 26/04/2016 16:14:17 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

523228

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2016
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	STEM Subjects: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on encouraging regular trips to engineering firms, factories and laboratories by all-girls' schools to encourage girls to consider STEM careers.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	39509
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2016 answer text <p>We are committed to increasing the number of girls studying STEM subjects and considering STEM careers. That is why earlier this year we announced an ambition to increase the proportion of girls studying STEM subjects by 20% by 2020. We fully encourage engagement between schools and employers to inform and inspire all young people about STEM careers.</p><p> </p><p>This government wants to see improvements to the quality of careers advice and guidance available to young people, with many more schools and employers working together to provide excellent support. Helping all young people, regardless of background, get the inspiration and guidance they need for success in working life is a key part of this government’s commitment to delivering real social justice. Later this year, we will publish our careers strategy which will set out a clear vision and roadmap for our £90 million investment this parliament to improve careers education and guidance for young people.</p><p> </p><p>As part of this investment, we are funding the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to take a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people to inspire them and prepare them for the world of work. The CEC announced, in March, the successful bidders to the £5 million careers and enterprise investment fund, some of which have a specific focus on STEM. The fund will boost provision for nearly 250,000 young people across England in 75% of the areas the company has identified as ‘cold spots’.</p><p> </p><p>The government supports the STEM Ambassadors Programme with a network of over 32,000 volunteers from STEM companies and academia who inspire schoolchildren about STEM careers. We also support the industry led Your Life campaign which aims to transform perceptions of STEM subjects by showing young people the range of careers they can pursue.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 14/06/2016 14:32:52 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon