Written questions, answers and statements

Railways: Females

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Question for Department for Transport

UIN 165648, tabled on 9 March 2021

Question

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
Labour
Slough
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of female train conductors in the UK.

Answer

Chris Heaton-Harris
Conservative
Daventry
Commons

Answered on

12 March 2021

No specific assessment has been conducted by my Department of estimates in the number of female train drivers in the UK, female train conductors in the UK or any trends in the level of women in senior roles within the rail industry.

However, we are aware of research conducted by the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) which indicates that the number of females within the rail sector as a whole is around 13%. Some of this analysis was included as part of the Williams Rail Review evidence collation and published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-rail-sector-in-numbers.

Separate research published by the ASLEF Trade Union in 2019 suggested that around 6.5% of their members who are train drivers are female. I am clear that this needs to be addressed and we are considering this and other issues affecting the diversity of the rail workforce over the next decade and will set out details in due course.

Answered by

Department for Transport
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