WOMEN AND SCIENCE

<p>That this House welcomes the valuable contribution to science made by women; acknowledges the contribution of Bedford College, University of London, which opened up higher education to women for the first time in the UK; regrets that only 29.8 per cent of all female science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates of working age in the UK are employed in science, engineering and technology occupations compared to half of all male STEM graduates of working age; notes that under-representation of women in STEM costs 15 to 23 billion or 1.3 to2 per cent of GDP; supports the work of United Kingdom Resource Centre for Women in Science andEngineering which advances gender equality and diversity from classroom to boardroom in science, engineering and technology and has directly reached over 7,000 women between 2008 and 2011, 900 of whom report positive outcomes; further regrets that the Government has decided not to renew funding for theUnited Kingdom Resource Centre from April 2011 resulting in a 100 per cent loss of Government funding this year; and calls on the Government to secure the continuation of the United Kingdom Resource Centre for Women in Science andEngineering into the next year by restoring their funding.</p>