Only two women applied to replace Mark Carney as governor of the Bank of England (BoE), despite the involvement of a recruitment firm that prides itself on attracting female applicants.

A letter from the chancellor to the chair of the Treasury Committee, published on February 3, provides details of the recruitment process, including the gender breakdown of the 23 candidates who applied for the role.

Of the candidates, seven men and both women were shortlisted for the role. Initially, many