Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Levelling-up Agenda

Wednesday 13 January 2021 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister is committed to addressing geographic inequality in Britain.
  • The Equality Hub focuses on fair treatment and opportunities for all.
  • Jacob Young highlighted the need to address gender imbalance in industries.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jacob Young
Economy Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The question arises from the broader goal of reducing geographic inequality across Britain, focusing on providing fair opportunities regardless of location.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to contribute to the Government's levelling-up agenda. The Minister knows that Redcar and Cleveland rely a lot on our chemicals, manufacturing and engineering industry, and like me, many young lads in Teesside go on to study apprenticeships in our industry.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss (Equality Hub)

We are determined that everyone in Britain should be treated fairly and have a fair chance in life, whether they come from Redcar or Reading. That is why we have a new approach in the Equality Hub that is focused on the scourge of geographic inequality.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps for levelling-up industries and education opportunities in Redcar and Cleveland were not detailed.

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Q2 Jacob Young
Women & Equalities
Context

The question arises from the concern over gender disparity in industries such as chemicals, manufacturing and engineering in Redcar and Cleveland. The Minister highlights that young men often pursue apprenticeships in these fields.

Question

There remains a lot of work to do to address the gender imbalance that faces our industry. What more can the Government do to encourage young people of all backgrounds, but especially young women, to access engineering and help to level up places such as Redcar and Cleveland?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. We know that 35% of the gender wage gap can be explained by the different occupations done by men and women. I am delighted that he is doing a lot to support Teesside's chemical industry and to attract more young people, including women, into it. I am pleased to say that since 2010 there has been a 31% increase in girls studying science, technology, engineering and maths subjects.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific actions the government will take to encourage young women into engineering were not detailed.

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