The House of Lords EU Sub-Committee is to take evidence from business professionals today (Monday 9 July) as part of its inquiry into EU action to increase the number of women on company boards.
The Committee will ask business professionals, including Neil Carberry, Director for Employment and Skills at the CBI, Kate Grussing, Founder and Managing Director of Sapphire Partners, and Simon Walker, Director General of the Institute of Directors, whether there is there a business case for increasing gender diversity on company boards and why current representation of women on boards is so low.
Questions will also cover areas such as the support or preparation that women need for board appointments and the likelihood of the UK reaching the 40% target set by the European Commission without quotas.
Representatives from executive search firms will then be asked if quotas for gender diversity on boards would make it more difficult to find the right candidates for a job, or result in less effective candidates being chosen. The Committee will also ask if the fact that some countries are signed up to quotas of women on boards affect recruitment patterns across Europe and what impact their voluntary code has had on practice in the industry.
The evidence sessions will start at 4.05pm on Monday 9 July in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords and can be watched live at www.parliamentlive.tv.
