Amanda Milling, the MP for Cannock Chase, welcomes Prime Minister’s new policy announcement to help mothers return to work
Speaking in Prime Minister’s Questions on International Women’s Day, Amanda Milling MP highlighted the progress being made to get women into work, onto FTSE 100 boards and reduce the gender pay gap, but stressed the need to do more to support women to get back into work after a career break.
Ahead of the Budget, and in response to the Cannock Chase MP’s question the Prime Minister announced a fund of £5million for ‘returnships’ – to support people returning to work after long breaks.
The fund for ‘returnships’ – to help those returning to work after long career breaks is open to women and men, with the aim of giving people who have taken lengthy career breaks the opportunity to refresh their skills and build professional networks. The government will work with business groups and public sector organisations to identify how to boost further the opportunities for women returning to work.
Amanda Milling said: “On this International Women’s Day it is fantastic news that we have the highest female employment rate on record; the highest percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards on record and the gender pay gap is the lowest on record. This is great news but we need to do more to support people, and especially women, get back into work after a career break. So the Prime Minister’s announcement of a £5million fund for ‘returnships’ is really excellent news which I wholeheartedly welcome.”
Amanda added: “This government is supporting women and helping to address the issues that we face in the work place, and politics is no different. Only in this Parliament have the number of female MPs ever elected to the Commons exceeded the total number of men in the Commons today. However at least we can proudly say the Conservatives are the only party to have had two female leaders and Prime Ministers.”
International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women across the world, it is part of a movement of global action to accelerate gender parity.
Amanda Milling is the four hundred and thirty third female MP elected to the House of Commons and the first female MP for the Constituency of Cannock Chase.