Removing obstacles to companies having a fair proportion of women in senior management is a laudable aim, but there is a risk that this emotive issue distracts from a more important point - companies need the best people at the top, no matter who they are.

Women are still grossly under-represented at management level in most industries, with financial services among the sectors with the most glaring disparities. Charles Goodhart, a professor at the London School of Economics, said last week that while banks had improved the mix lower down their ranks, too many boardrooms remained bereft of female influence.