Patricia Hewitt has announced a £1.5 million package to promote women in science.

Publishing the government's new strategy on the issue, the trade and industry secretary pledged to back a new £800,000 science centre to work with employers and female scientists to improve recruitment and retention.

"Britain has a world class science base but we will only keep it this way if we use all our potential talent and not just half the pool. It is also vital for the success of our economy that we make the most of our female scientists," said Hewitt.