Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Women and Equalities Committee
HC 711
Published 22 October 2025
Recommendations
16
Deferred
Ringfence 30% of Regional Angel Programme funding for female investors and businesses; publish data.
Recommendation
We call on the British Business Bank to ringfence a minimum of 30% of Regional Angel Programme funding for supporting female angel investors and investment in female-led businesses across the regions and to publish data on take-up by gender. The …
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Government Response Summary
The government deflects the specific recommendation for the British Business Bank's Regional Angel Programme, instead highlighting the recently announced UKEF Female Founder Export Accelerator, which aims to support women-led businesses in scaling internationally through workshops, mentoring, and funding pathways.
Government Equalities Office
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18
Deferred
Launch a Female Enterprise Investment Scheme with higher incentives for women-led businesses.
Recommendation
The Government should launch a Female Enterprise Investment Scheme to sit alongside the EIS and SEIS, with higher incentives to specifically drive investment in women-led businesses. People who invest in women-led businesses should receive greater benefits. Existing biases in the …
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Government Response Summary
The government supports the goal of promoting investment in women-led businesses but believes this is best achieved by amplifying existing industry-led initiatives like the Invest in Women Taskforce, rather than launching a new Female Enterprise Investment Scheme.
Government Equalities Office
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20
Deferred
Launch campaign to raise awareness of SEIS, EIS, and FEIS among investors and entrepreneurs.
Recommendation
The government should launch a campaign to increase awareness of the SEIS, EIS and proposed FEIS schemes among investors and female entrepreneurs. The campaign should be appropriately tailored to ensure underrepresented groups of women are aware of the schemes. The …
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Government Response Summary
The government's response discusses a review of parental leave and pay for self-employed parents, completely unrelated to the recommendation to launch a campaign increasing awareness of investment schemes and collect associated data.
Government Equalities Office
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23
Deferred
Require Government update on steps to secure investor support for the Invest in Women Taskforce.
Recommendation
The Government should update us in its response to this Report on the steps it is taking through its convening powers to get those investors, particularly the signatories of the Mansion House Accord, to support the Taskforce. (Recommendation, Paragraph 88) …
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Government Response Summary
The government's response details its plans for childcare provision and reform, including a Department for Education review, Tax-Free Childcare, and the National Wraparound Childcare programme, which is unrelated to the recommendation about convening investors to support the Taskforce.
Government Equalities Office
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31
Deferred
Increase Maternity Allowance for self-employed mothers and permit more Keeping In Touch days.
Recommendation
We acknowledge the Government’s desire to protect a mother’s time with her baby. As such, we recommend that Maternity Allowance is increased for self-employed mothers in the first six weeks to bring it closer in line with Statutory Maternity Pay. …
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Government Response Summary
The government defers action by stating that the recommendation will be considered as part of the Parental Leave and Pay review, which launched in July 2025 and is expected to run for 18 months. Decisions on reform will depend on the review's findings and other factors.
Government Equalities Office
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32
Deferred
Reclassify Maternity Allowance as earned income for Universal Credit to support self-employed women.
Recommendation
The Department for Work and Pensions should review funding for Universal Credit and reclassify Maternity Allowance so that it is not treated as “unearned income” for the purposes of Universal Credit, so that when self-employed women access it, their Universal …
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Government Response Summary
The government deferred the recommendation to reclassify Maternity Allowance for Universal Credit purposes, stating it is within the scope of the Parental Leave and Pay review. The response also explained that Maternity Allowance is currently treated as unearned income due to the means-tested nature of Universal Credit, a policy upheld by court judgments.
Government Equalities Office
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33
Deferred
Reform to paternity and shared parental leave schemes is long overdue.
Recommendation
We reiterate the conclusions from our report on paternity and shared parental leave. Improved paternity leave and pay and reform to the shared parental scheme is long overdue and would directly benefit female entrepreneurs. (Recommendation, Paragraph 129)
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Government Response Summary
The government has deferred action on improving paternity leave and pay and reforming the shared parental scheme, stating these are in scope of a parental leave review launched on 1 July, expected to run for 18 months, after which a roadmap for potential reforms will be developed.
Government Equalities Office
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36
Deferred
Childcare availability and affordability are crucial for increasing female entrepreneurship rates.
Recommendation
The availability and affordability of childcare must be addressed to increase entrepreneurship rates among women. Making childcare more easily available and affordable would benefit the founding, performance and persistence of female-led businesses, while being vital for reconciling work and family …
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Government Response Summary
The government has deferred a comprehensive response, stating the Department for Education will lead a review of childcare provision to simplify the system. The response also highlights existing initiatives like Tax-Free Childcare and the expansion of government-funded childcare, and mentions future plans for nannies will be set out in the coming months.
Government Equalities Office
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Conclusions (3)
5
Conclusion
Deferred
We do not accept arguments that transparency and accountability in venture capital are too difficult, and neither should the Government. The Financial Conduct Authority should be mandated to require all registered venture capital firms to report on the number and proportion of deals that go to support female-led businesses and …
Government Response Summary
The government deflects the recommendation for the FCA to mandate reporting and levy penalties on venture capital firms, instead highlighting Innovate UK's existing Women in Innovation Programme and its commitment to inclusive innovation.
12
Conclusion
Deferred
The strategy should be overseen by a dedicated Minister and Office within the Department for Business and Trade akin to the US Office of Women’s Business Ownership, with an assigned budget and responsibility for driving implementation of the strategy, and ensuring accountability and transparency through data collection. (Recommendation, Paragraph 56)
Government Response Summary
The government deflects the recommendation for a dedicated Minister and Office to oversee strategy, instead mentioning a Call for Evidence on tax incentives for business founders, which is unrelated to the proposed governance structure.
25
Conclusion
Deferred
We received compelling evidence on the value of tailored mentorship programmes and support both for investors and founders. More regional initiatives are being developed but, while these are extremely welcome, 56 we are concerned that they are too small in scale to deliver the growth the country needs. A coordinated, …
Government Response Summary
The government's response details reforms to the STEM curriculum and highlights existing STEM initiatives like the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code and STEM Ambassadors programme, which is unrelated to the recommendation for a national mentorship programme for female founders and investors.