← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
Ada Lovelace Day
16 October 2025
Lead MP
Lizzi Collinge
Morecambe and Lunesdale
Lab
Responding Minister
Not recorded
Tags
No tags
Word Count: 11652
Other Contributors: 21
At a Glance
Lizzi Collinge raised concerns about ada lovelace day in Westminster Hall. Response awaited from government.
Key Requests to Government:
The government should provide more opportunities and support for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, ensuring they have the same access to education, resources and recognition as men.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Ada Lovelace was a pioneer in computer science with remarkable insight into the potential of computing. However, she faced challenges such as health issues and societal barriers that limited her recognition and support. The debate highlights the importance of mentorship and opportunities for women in STEM fields to achieve their full potential.
Dan Aldridge
Lab
Weston-super-Mare
Discussed the importance of understanding and controlling technology while emphasizing the need for diversity in benefiting from Ada Lovelace's legacy.
Dave Robertson
Lab
Lichfield
Emphasized the need for women in STEM roles and teaching, advocating for a cross-governmental response to encourage more people into STEM fields.
Ian Sollom
LD
St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
The hon. Member focused on the gender imbalance in STEM, noting that women make up only 15.7% of the engineering and technology workforce despite expected job growth through to 2030. He celebrated the achievements of uMaths and highlighted the importance of role models for female students. Discussed the importance of a broad and balanced curriculum, highlighting that female students are generally more likely to want to study a broader range of subjects than their male peers.
Jade Botterill
Lab
Ossett and Denby Dale
Responded on behalf of the Government, thanking hon. Members for their contributions. Highlighted the importance of gender equality in STEM fields and mentioned that women made up only 16.5% of the engineering workforce in 2024.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Provided a Northern Ireland perspective on supporting women in STEM careers and shared ideas with other regions of the UK.
Jo Platt
Lab/Co-op
Leigh and Atherton
Discussed her work at Leigh Spinners mill, the newly formed Northwest Computer Museum, and highlighted strong female leadership in the area. She also mentioned Ada Lovelace’s legacy.
Julia Lopez
Con
Hornchurch and Upminster
Admired the contributions made by other MPs during the debate and mentioned her visit to the Royal Society's archive, which included signatures of renowned scientists.
Laurence Turner
Lab
Birmingham Northfield
Laurence Turner expresses gratitude to Lizzi Collinge for securing the debate and acknowledges her powerful speech. He supports initiatives aimed at encouraging more women in STEM fields.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
Paid tribute to Georgina Barnard from his constituency for her work on supporting young women into science, technology, engineering and maths, highlighting the importance of having visible role models.
Lizzi Collinge
Lab
Bolton West
Thanked colleagues for their contributions and highlighted the importance of linking up various schemes across the UK to nurture young mathematicians, with a focus on practicalities such as financial equality and transport access.
Matt Rodda
Lab
Reading Central
Supported the increase in apprenticeships; getting more young people on to any course that offers opportunity is ultimately what it is all about.
Maureen Burke
Lab
Glasgow North East
Recognised the essential work of student-led groups such as the Women+ in Engineering group at the University of Strathclyde, which champions and supports women in STEM.
Wolverhampton North East
Celebrated Ada Lovelace's legacy and highlighted the drop in girls' interest in science, calling for continued efforts to challenge gender inequality.
Natalie Fleet
Lab
Bolsover
The hon. Friend highlighted that only 20% of people in tech are women, which is a travesty. The Lovelace report found that 80% of women surveyed have recently left or are interested in leaving their tech roles.
Peter Swallow
Lab
Bracknell
Touched on Mary Anning's story and highlighted the achievements of Bracknell’s all-girls robotics team.
Tiverton and Minehead
Rachel Gilmour discusses the legacy of Ada Lovelace in her constituency and points out that STEM paths leave much to be desired. She praises Nicola Fauvel for being appointed station director at Hinkley Point C and highlights the importance of tapping into the potential energy of women in STEM.
Samantha Niblett
Lab
South Derbyshire
Highlights the economic cost of losing talented women from tech industries and advocates for a more inclusive approach to designing technology that serves everyone.
Sarah Russell
Lab
Congleton
Sarah Russell mentions an extracurricular club called CAUC at Sandbach high school, which helps female students pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated industries. She also highlights the issue of childcare for PhD students and calls for urgent change to ensure women can balance their studies with having children.
Steve Yemm
Lab
Mansfield
Acknowledges Ada Lovelace’s importance and discusses the current underrepresentation of women in STEM fields, welcoming government efforts to increase their representation.
Harpenden and Berkhamsted
Celebrated Ada Lovelace’s legacy, highlighted systemic barriers for women in STEM, and called for reforms such as doubling shared parental leave.
Wendy Morton
Con
Aldridge-Brownhills
The hon. Member agreed with the importance of encouraging the next generation of women into STEM by working with further education and businesses such as In-Comm from Aldridge.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.