MPs to appear on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour

• Inquiry: Women in the workplace
• Business, Innovation and Skills Committee

On Tuesday 13 November, Committee member Ann McKechin MP, in conversation with Woman’s Hour host, Jane Garvey, will talk about why the Committee decided to hold this inquiry, some of the issues that may be looked at and how Select Committees work.
 
On Wednesday 14 November, the Woman's Hour programme will be hosting a phone-in devoted to the inquiry. Committee Member Rebecca Harris MP will answer calls. 

Commenting on the launch of the inquiry, the Chair of the Committee, Adrian Bailey MP, said:

"Inequality has no place in the workplace.
 
Discriminating against female employees is not only unfair to women, it is detrimental to businesses and damaging to the economy.. 
 
Complacency, inactivity and stereotyping can all act as barriers to progress.
 
We need to know what steps have been taken to tackle gender inequality, what effect they have had and what more might be done.
 
This debate needs to take place in public. The BIS Committee is not afraid to innovate or to break out of the so-called 'Westminster bubble.' By discussing these issues on Woman's Hour, we are bringing the work of our Committee to an important new audience.
 
We want to hear from real people, talking about real issues so that, together, we can find real solutions to this vital problem."

The BIS Committee recently extended its deadline for the submission of written evidence until Christmas 2012. The terms of reference can be accessed via the Committee's inquiry page. 

Further Information

 The Committee's initial programme of oral evidence sessions relating to its 'Women in the workplace' inquiry is as follows (additional sessions and witnesses are likely to be added in due course):
 
Tuesday 20 November: 

• Danna Walker, Chair of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Equality and Diversity Committee, Architects for Change; Professor Jane Dacre, Royal College of Physicians; Sheila Wild, independent consultant and freelance writer, specialising in equal pay
   
• Diane Johnson, ECA; Bola Fatimilehin, Head of Diversity, Royal Academy of Engineering; Clare Walker, Chairman, Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee, Royal Aeronautical Society
   
• Mike Buchanan, CE, Campaign for Merit in Business; Steven Moxon, academic; Dr Catherine Hakim, sociologist; Heather McGregor, recruitment consultant 

Tuesday 27 November:

• Brona Reeves (Barclays) and Jemima Coleman (Herbert Smith Freehills), Employment Lawyers Association; Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive, Working Families; Denise Linay, Royal College of Midwives
  
• Ceri Goddard, Chief Executive, and Daisy Sands, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Fawcett Society; Helen Wells, Director, and Rachael Saunders, Head of Communications & Policy, Opportunity Now; Sophie Garner, Discrimination Law Association
  
• Sarah Veale, Head of Equality and Employment Rights, Trades Union Congress (TUC); Ro Marsh, National Officer, FDA; Sharon Greene, National Women's Officer, Unison

Tuesday 4 December:

• Helena Morrissey, CE of Newton Investment Management, founder of 30% Club; Liz Murrall, Senior Corporate Governance Adviser, Investment Management Association; Tim Ward, CEO, Quoted Companies Alliance; Debbie Crosbie, Director of Operations and IT, Clydesdale Bank
   
• Anya Hindmarch, fashion accessories designer; Margaret Mountford, lawyer and business woman; Marie O’Riordan, freelance consultant, as Editor in Chief of John Brown; Heather Rabbatts CBE, first female Non-Executive Director, The Football Association
  

Thursday 6 December:

• Hilary Devey, Founder, CE and Chairman of Pall-Ex; Sir David Normington, First Civil Service Commissioner and Commissioner for Public Appointments; Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director, Directorate D Equality, DG Justice, European Commission

Tuesday 18 December:

• Dame Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, British astrophysicist; Kate Sloyan, Doctoral Prize Fellow, Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton; UK Research Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology 

Tuesday 15 January

• Women’s Business Council
    
• Government Ministers with formal responsibility for Women and Equalities