Women in the House of Commons after the 2020 election Contents
Annex: Terms of Reference
The inquiry was launched on 9 August 2016. The call for evidence stated:
The Committee’s inquiry will consider three key areas:
1)What should the Government, political parties, the House of Commons and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority be doing now to ensure better female representation in the House of Commons in 2020 and beyond?
2)What are the political parties doing to ensure that female representation will increase at the next general election given the impact that the 2018 Boundary Commission Review could have
3)What further changes are needed to improve retention of women MPs?
Written evidence should be submitted addressing the themes outlined above, and the following specific issues to the Committee by 12 September 2016.
- What steps are and should be being taken to increase the percentage of women MPs in the House of Commons in 2020 and beyond? Is there a need to reach out to certain groups of women and how can this be done most effectively? What targets and what methods should parties be using for selection? What are the key timings?
- What is the likely expected impact of the 2018 Boundary Commission Review? Have parties made the impact of this on female representation enough of a priority?
- Are parties giving sufficient attention to female representation at other levels of political life, including Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners?
- What additional issues relating to retention of women MPs need to be considered? What are the parties doing in response to the Administration Committee’s 2015 and 2016 report on interview studies with women MPs and leaving MPs? How can a consensus be reached on emerging proposals from The Good Parliament report?