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| MPs due to back diversity probe | MPs due to back diversity probe |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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". | 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. | The first Speaker's conference, chaired by Speaker Lowther from 1916 to 1917, paved the way for the enfranchisement of women in the UK. |