MPs to explore equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives

Wednesday, 25 March 2.20pm Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hear from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Policy Exchangeand academic experts during a one-off evidence session exploring equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives.

MPs on the cross-party committee, chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen, will discuss the benefits and costs to businesses of EDI. The session will explore the drivers of pushback against EDI, the rollback of DEI in the United States and differences between DEI in the US and EDI in the UK.

It is likely to examine the effectiveness and business cases of a range of initiatives and proposed additions to the EDI framework - ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting and enactment of the Equality Act's “socioeconomic duty” - as well as considering the response of EDI to demographic change.

Witnesses for Wednesday, 25 March           

2.20pm 

• Dr Louise Ashley, Reader and Associate Professor, Queen Mary University of London
• Peter Cheese, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
• Professor Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance, London Business School
• Iain Mansfield, Director of Research and Head of Education and Science, Policy Exchange
• Dr Zoe Young, Founder and Director, Half the Sky