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More than one in four companies in London’s tech sector employ no women at board level, new figures claimed today.

According to the survey of more than 1,600 experts, leaders and investors, published today, 23 per cent of tech firms have no women in senior positions.

Only 12 per cent had women in half of management roles.

The study, by Tech London Advocates, found nearly 60 per cent of respondents do not believe the capital’s technology companies reflect the city’s diversity because of the lack of women at senior levels.

The research was being released tonight at a Tech London Advocates Women in Tech working group meeting at the House of Lords hosted by Baroness Martha Lane Fox, who is calling for “radical change” for gender equality in the sector.

Baroness Lane-Fox said “nothing should be off the table” - including women-only shortlists for senior positions.

She said the sector must face up to the problem: “here is a greater proportion of women in the House of Lords than British tech companies. We must accept the scale of this problem and work together to put women at the heart of the technology sector. Mobilising a currently unused resource will have huge benefits for the digital industry, the economy and UK PLC.”

Sarah Luxford, director at executive search firm Nexec Leaders and co-lead on Women in the Tech working group, said: “Diversity is not a project, it’s your attitudes and beliefs.

“Tech London Advocates Women in Tech group work with the key influencers of the capital’s tech community to help shift the way we think, feel and act towards diversity in our industry. Our London Technology Week event at the House of Lords is an opportunity to celebrate those companies pioneering diverse workforce practices & supportive cultures that reflect today’s society.”

Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, branded the figures “disappointing”.

He said: “For a sector identified with disruption and change, these figures are very disappointing. We live in a city with a global reputation for diversity yet our most exciting industry fails to reflect this in its most senior positions. “London Technology Week is a chance to showcase the scale of our technology sector but we must also use it as an opportunity to attract more people to digital careers.”