Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

STEM Subjects

Wednesday 23 September 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The number of girls' STEM A-level entries has increased year on year despite a reduction in overall cohort size.
  • The advanced maths support programme, worth 8 million per year, aims to increase the number of girls studying level 3 maths.
  • The Department for Education is raising awareness of STEM careers through programmes such as STEM ambassadors, 45% of whom are women.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jack Lopresti Con
Education Women & Equalities
Context

The question addresses the government's efforts to increase female participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Question

What steps she is taking to encourage girls and young women to take up STEM subjects. The number of girls' STEM A-level entries has increased year on year despite an overall reduction in cohort size; however, there are still disparities in gender representation in some sector subject areas.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

We continue to fund numerous programmes to increase girls' and young women's take-up of science, technology, engineering and maths subjects. The number of girls' STEM A-level entries has increased year on year despite an overall reduction in cohort size. Since 2010, there has been a 31% increase in girls' entries to STEM A-levels in England and a 34% increase in women accepted on to full-time STEM undergraduate courses in the UK.

Answered
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Q2 Claire Coutinho Con East Surrey
Education Women & Equalities
Context

The question relates to the new core maths course and its potential to increase participation in mathematics among girls.

Question

We know that the new core maths course is highly regarded for both its accessibility and its pragmatism, and therefore it can play a huge part in increasing participation in maths. Can the Minister tell me how we are engaging with female pupils in particular to encourage them to take up this fantastic course? The advanced maths support programme aims to increase the number of girls studying level 3 maths.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

Our advanced maths support programme, worth £8 million per year, aims to increase the number of girls studying level 3 maths, which includes core maths. Out of more than 17,000 students participating in the programme's events last year, 55% of attendees were female. We will be using research such as our behavioural insight studies to inform future work on how to get more girls studying maths after GCSE.

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Q3 Jack Lopresti Con
Education Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The question pertains to the encouragement of more women to take up subjects and apprenticeships related to aerospace and defence.

Question

My constituency is a world-renowned centre of aerospace and defence expertise, so how can the Government help to encourage more women to take up these subjects and apprenticeships in particular so that we can equip the country and them with the skills we need for the future? Aerospace specifically needs diversity in its sector.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

Along with the significant measures that I have mentioned on increasing the take-up of STEM subjects among girls and women, we are also raising awareness of STEM careers through programmes such as STEM ambassadors, 45% of whom are women. The Department for Education is also taking steps to engage with the sector through apprenticeships. On aerospace specifically, we are supporting industry's efforts to increase diversity in the sector through the women in aviation and aerospace charter, recognising that a more diverse sector is good for business, customers and workplace culture.

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Q4 Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The question addresses the low female employment rate in the technology industry and asks about government efforts to incentivise tech businesses to employ more women.

Question

In the UK, female employment in the technology industry stands at 16.7% and grew less than 1% in the last 10 years. This is one of the most promising and booming industries, but it is one that women hardly find themselves in. What discussion has the Minister's Department had with her Cabinet colleagues to provide incentives for technology businesses to employ women?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The Government take this issue very seriously. The Government Equalities Office carries out various studies to encourage women into this sector. We know that there are disparities in gender representation in some sector subject areas. Women still account for 6% and 8% of starts in construction, planning and the built environment and in engineering and engineering technologies.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about incentives for technology businesses to employ women was not directly addressed; instead, the response focused on general efforts by the Government Equalities Office.

How: We Know That There Are Disparities In Gender Representation, Women Still Account For 6% And 8% Of Starts

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