The Women\u2019s Business Council published its inaugural report five years ago. Since then we have seen a significant shift in women\u2019s participation in, and experiences of, the workplace.<\/p>
The Council has successfully influenced government policy on shared parental leave, flexible working and the provision of childcare. Members have raised the profile of issues with business leaders and developed specific programmes and toolkits for the business community.<\/p>
I would like to pay tribute to the current Chair, Dame Cilla Snowball as she steps down from office next month, for overseeing the success of the Council\u2019s programme.<\/p>
We will be announcing the new Chair of the Women\u2019s Business Council and its future business programme shortly.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4017", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Penny Mordaunt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Penny Mordaunt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T16:58:09.127Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Women's Business Council"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of the merits of the work of the Women's Business Council; and what its forthcoming work programme will be.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1489", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dawn Butler"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brent Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dawn Butler"} ], "uin" : "264739"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132280", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132280/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Three rounds of funding for Returners Grants have been announced since March 2018, with £1.5 million now awarded to sixteen organisations supporting returners. Successful organisations funded under the first round began their programmes early this year.<\/p>
These programmes provide extensive support to returners, supporting them to develop skills, build confidence, and complete accredited qualifications and training before they return to the labour market. Employment opportunities for returners taking part in the first round of projects will be sourced later this year.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4017", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Penny Mordaunt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Penny Mordaunt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T16:58:45.687Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Career Breaks: Females"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many women have returned to the labour market as a result of funding from the Women Returners programme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1489", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dawn Butler"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brent Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dawn Butler"} ], "uin" : "264740"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132281", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132281/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Three rounds of funding for Returner Grants have been announced since March 2018, with £1.5 million now awarded to sixteen organisations supporting returners. These programmes provide extensive support to returners, supporting them to develop skills, build confidence, and complete accredited qualifications and training, before they return to the labour market.<\/p>
Programmes funded under the Returners Grant Fund will capture data on the protected characteristics of participants as part of programme evaluation. This will include ethnicity, disability, age, education and length of unemployment. Evaluation reports will be published upon the completion of all returner programmes funded by GEO.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4017", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Penny Mordaunt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Penny Mordaunt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T16:59:41.35Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Career Breaks: Females"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) disabled and (b) black, Asian and minority ethnic group women who have returned to the labour market as a result of funding from the Women Returners programme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1489", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dawn Butler"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brent Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dawn Butler"} ], "uin" : "264741"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131220", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131220/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This Question was answered on 11 June 2019.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T14:37:12.783Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Government Equalities Office: Written Questions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to respond to Question 251971 on Equal Pay, tabled by the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion on 8 May 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"} ], "uin" : "263129"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131376", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131376/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We are committed to ensuring that the UK is an international leader on gender equality research, so that employers have the tools and knowledge they need to close their gender pay gaps.<\/p>
In September 2017, we invested £2 million in the Gender and Behavioural Insights programme (GABI), a two-year partnership between GEO and the Behavioural Insights Team to understand how behavioural science techniques can help to improve gender equality in the workplace. In December 2018 we extended the GABI programme for a third year, investing a further £1 million. Information on further breakdown of costs is commercially sensitive.<\/p>
<\/p>
The GABI programme is working with large UK-based employers to design, trial and evaluate behavioural interventions to reduce the gender pay gap and improve gender equality more broadly. It is also taking forward a suite of other behavioural science trials including on recruitment, returners, part time working, parental leave, gendered feedback and others.<\/p>
<\/p>
In August 2018, the GABI programme published guidance for employers to understand what actions are likely to improve recruitment and progression of women and reduce the gender pay gap, which was actively welcomed by businesses: https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/actions-to-close-the-gap<\/a>. This guidance will be updated in the autumn alongside a set of new Implementation Guides.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T14:36:45.147Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Government Equalities Office: Behavioural Insights Team"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will provide the (a) full cost breakdown and (b) agreed programme of work and outcomes of the contract her Department has tendered with the Behavioural Insights Team on work relating to the gender pay gap.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1489", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dawn Butler"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brent Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dawn Butler"}
], "uin" : "263103"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130879", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130879/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Equality Act 2010 contains clear, enforceable protections to prevent people from being discriminated against or harassed because of a disability in the provision of services. A person with HIV is automatically protected under the Act because this condition is specified as a disability in the Act.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T14:37:36.77Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "HIV Infection: Discrimination"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure that people with HIV are not discriminated against when seeking tattoo, piercings and other similar services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4571", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Gill Furniss"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Gill Furniss"}
], "uin" : "262416"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130964", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130964/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In April 2019, the Government Equalities Office became an integral part of the Cabinet Office. GEO staff are employees of the Cabinet Office, who are responsible for collecting workforce diversity and inclusion data. GEO does not have access to this data as the size of GEO means that individual members of staff could be identifiable. Prior to April 2019, GEO workforce diversity data will have been included in the data of the relevant parent department.<\/p> <\/p> The Office for National Statistics publishes annual data on Civil Service employment in the UK, including ethnicity data by department: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics<\/a><\/p> <\/p>