WOMEN CANDIDATES

Motion Text

That this House congratulates the people of Wales on electing the world's first perfectly gender-balanced legislature, with 50 per cent. men and 50 per cent. women Assembly members; recognises that all the main political parties in Wales contributed to this achievement; further congratulates the people of Scotland on electing a Scottish Parliament with 40 per cent. women MSPs; however, regrets that only 18 per cent. of honourable Members are women; recalls that the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 permits political parties to take positive action in order to select more women candidates; and urges all political parties to examine their selection procedures to ensure a significant increase in the number of women elected to Westminster at the next general election.