Speaking in a debate on a European directive to improve the gender balance among non-executive directors of listed companies, Anne Main highlights the need to ensure that any regulations result in genuinely offering opportunities for women, rather than leading to the same few women on different sorts of boards.

Mrs Anne Main (St Albans) (Con): Does my hon. Friend share my concern that there is confusion here between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome? If we are not careful, we could have the same few women on different sorts of boards, rather than genuinely offering opportunities for many women to apply.

Matthew Hancock: My hon. Friend makes a good point. A number of objections have been raised, and that adds to them.

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