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Information and Communications Technology Degrees

22. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): What steps she is taking to encourage women to take degrees in information and communications technology. [170671]

The Minister for Women and Equality (Ms Patricia Hewitt): E-Skills UK, the sector skills council for ICT, is working with employers to make IT degrees, courses and careers more attractive to women. In particular, it is developing a new IT degree that focuses on the use of IT. We know from experience that it is likely to be more attractive to women.

Michael Fabricant : Does the Secretary of State accept that one deterrent to women entering the industry is the glass ceiling in the UK whereby women are not able to obtain promotion? Is she aware that in the old Soviet Union more than 50 per cent. of managers in this sector were women—and there was no Minister for Women in the old Soviet Union? The figure is only 15 per cent. in this country now, so what is the Ministry for Women for—indeed, what is she for?
 
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Ms Hewitt: Well, I am not for a return to the Soviet Union. I am for the promotion and extension of flexible working opportunities to women and men right across the economy. We know that one of the main reasons why women do not find IT attractive and why, all too often, they do not return to science and technology jobs even when they have the degrees is the lack of flexible working. That is something that the hon. Gentleman knows I have championed. I have changed the law and I am working with employers to spread the best practice that the best employers are already implementing.

Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley) (Lab): Has my right hon. Friend yet had a chance to look at the research published today by the Equal Opportunities Commission on gender segregation in work and training?

Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst) (Con): Oh, please.

Judy Mallaber: Such segregation, including in IT, is one of the major factors in the gender pay gap, and the research would also help in relation to skill shortages in key areas. Will my right hon. Friend take on board the recommendations relating to modern apprenticeships, which is one of the issues that the research has specifically considered, and make sure that they are a priority for our work in that area?

Ms Hewitt: Judging from the comments we have heard from the Opposition Benches, that is another piece of work that the Conservative party would cut as part of its public spending cuts. The Equal Opportunities Commission is absolutely right. In most sectors, if there is real under-representation of women, there is a real problem with skills shortages. That is hardly surprising if employers are recruiting from only half the potential talent pool. I am working with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to ensure that we spread apprenticeships, so that women go into non-traditional jobs and men go into the caring jobs that have hitherto been dominated by women.

Mrs. Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) (Con): The Minister might note that the real answer to the actual question is that Labour's education policies are not encouraging anyone of any sex to take degrees. Here we have another example of how Labour policies are letting women down. As the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber) said, the Equal Opportunities Commission reported yesterday that sex segregation in some areas of employment is contributing to skills shortages. I hear what the Minister says about that, but nothing is happening to—

Mr. Speaker: Order. The hon. Lady must not make a speech; she must ask a question.

Mrs. Laing: I beg your pardon, Mr. Speaker. Has the Minister noted that, today, the Fawcett Society warns that key groups of women are "disillusioned, dissatisfied and deserting" Labour? Instead of criticising what the
 
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Conservatives did, she might note that Conservatives lead by example because we had a woman Prime Minister—

Mr. Speaker: Order. I call the Secretary of State.

Ms Hewitt: I am proud of the fact that in the past seven years, we have helped more women into employment and into education than ever before. I am proud of the record increases in child benefit, and of the
 
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introduction of the child tax credit and the working tax credit. I am proud of the fact that we introduced the national minimum wage—the Conservatives opposed it—which has helped nearly 1 million low-paid women to improve their earnings. I am proud of the fact that we have doubled the length of maternity leave, increased maternity pay and introduced flexible working. The reality is that Labour is streets ahead of the Conservatives in the representation of women, and in delivering for women real improvements in their daily lives.

 
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Business of the House

12.30 pm

Mr. Oliver Heald (North-East Hertfordshire) (Con): Will the Leader of the House please give us the business for next week?

The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Peter Hain): The business for next week will be as follows:

Monday 10 May—Second Reading of the Energy Bill [Lords].

Tuesday 11 May—Remaining stages of the Housing Bill, followed by a motion to approve the First Joint Report of the Accommodation and Works Committee and the Administration Committee on Visitor Facilities: "Access to Parliament".

Wednesday 12 May—Second Reading of the Age Related Payments Bill, followed by, if necessary, consideration of Lords Amendments, followed by motion to approve a money resolution on the Promotion of Volunteering Bill, followed by motion to approve the First Report of the Procedure Committee on estimates and appropriation procedure.

Thursday 13 May—Consideration of Lords Amendments to the Child Trust Funds Bill, followed by a debate on armed forces personnel on a motion for the Adjournment of the House.

Friday 14 May—Private Members' Bills.

The provisional business for the following week will be:

Monday 17 May—Opposition Day [11th Allotted Day]. There will be a debate on a motion in the name of the Liberal Democrats. Subject to be announced.

Tuesday 18 May—Progress on remaining stages of the Pensions Bill (Day One).

Wednesday 19 May—Progress on remaining stages of the Pensions Bill (Day Two).

Thursday 20 May—Conclusion of remaining stages of the Pensions Bill (Day Three).

Friday 21 May—Private Members' Bills.

Mr. Heald: Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition asked the Prime Minister whether it was likely that more British troops would be sent to Iraq, and the Prime Minister said that the Government were "in discussion" and that the matter was "under . . . review". Yet today, we read on the front page of The Times—there is a similar story in The Sun—that 2,000 Marines are being sent there. So while the Prime Minister was saying one thing here, his spin doctors were saying another to the press.

Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst) (Con): What is new?

Mr. Heald: Indeed.

As it is the Prime Minister's birthday today, will the Leader of the House give him a present—a piece of advice—and tell him to cut out the spin and to be frank and straightforward with the House and the country? May we also have a statement on troop deployment?
 
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The Leader of the House will recall that I have asked him on numerous occasions about the Sessional Orders and the report of the Procedure Committee. When will we have some action and what is the timetable?

I am grateful to the Leader of the House: last week, I asked for two days on the Pensions Bill and he has given us three. I hope that he is setting a precedent; perhaps he can confirm that he is. Has he seen the all-party amendment that would provide compensation to victims of the Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme disaster? May we have a statement before the week after next, explaining the Government's response to this much-needed proposal?

The Foreign Secretary promised weeks ago a debate on Zimbabwe in Government time, yet no such debate has been held. In fact, there has been no such debate in Government time since 1997. The England and Wales Cricket Board is waiting for clear advice from the Government about the proposed tour. The Leader of the House is something of a specialist on preventing cricket tours—will he prevent this one?

Finally, has the Leader of the House seen the article in today's edition of The Guardian entitled "Hospitals in countdown to threat of chaos"? It points out that the Health Secretary has apparently admitted to the British Medical Association that there are 100 days to avert the chaos that will result from the introduction of the working time directive on 1 August. The chairman of the BMA says that the Health Secretary is acting too late, that more than half of hospitals will not be ready, and that there is a risk of overnight emergency admissions being shut down. May we have an urgent statement on this alarming report?

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