MPs due to back diversity probe
MPs are expected to acknowledge that they are not representative of UK
society - as the make-up of the House of Commons is too white and too
male.
During a debate, Commons leader Harriet Harman will propose an inquiry
into how to ensure more women, ethnic minority and disabled MPs are
elected.
This form of investigation, called a Speaker's conference, happens about
once every 20 years.
Among 646 MPs there are just 125 women, of whom two are black and none
Asian.
Of all the MPs, just 3% are from an ethnic minority - compared to 10% in
the general population.
Ms Harman is due to ask MPs to support a motion acknowledging that
women, ethnic minority and disabled people are under-represented in
Parliament.
She is also expected to urge Speaker Michael Martin to lead the cross-
party inquiry into rectifying the problem.
Mr Martin has already been asked to look at the make-up of the Commons
by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
BBC social affairs correspondent Sue Littlemore says such Speaker's
conference inquiries "can be revolutionary"
The first Speaker's conference, chaired by Speaker Lowther from 1916 to
1917, paved the way for the enfranchisement of women in the UK.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.
Published: 2008/11/12 02:51:22 GMT
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Here we go........
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