Special Report: The Technology of Business
Predicting earthquakes using smartphones
Rise of the Techno-pup
Reboot profits with digital makeover
Ethiopiaâ€™s tech hopefuls
Taking on the 'patent trolls'
If that seems like a loaded question - can you at least say you're interested in what you're doing, and feel motivated?
If the answer is no, don't worry. You're not alone. In fact a massive 70% of US workers are "not engaged" or are "actively disengaged" at work. Workers elsewhere appear to agree.
So what can we do about it?
Dave Coplin has a few ideas.
He is Microsoft UK's chief envisioner. But he's also something of an influential expert when it comes to how we work.
It's something he's passionate about, and that comes across clearly in his new book Business Reimagined: Why work isn't working and what you can do about it.
"Fundamentally I think work isn't working," he says.
"We ended up in containers that are no longer relevant, we still think about work as a destination when we should think about it is as an activity.
"It's something that we do, it's not a place we go - I can work from anywhere."
He sees technology as part of the problem. Rather than creating a world where the ability to work anywhere frees us up to enjoy life a little more, he sees the opposite happening.
"I grew up on Star Trek and comic books, and had this belief that technology is a force that is supposed to bring positive things to society.
"Then I look around at what we're doing and I see how technology has become a cage to lots of people."
He cites email as a particular example of an out-dated use of technology - using email for everything, rather than pick up the phone, say, or using other collaborative applications. This, he says, stifles both productivity and creativity.
As well as spending hours in the office dealing with it, we've become trapped by the need check our email weekends, evenings, at the school play, at the supermarket, wherever we are.
This is partly self-inflicted and partly down to corporate culture and a basic misunderstanding of how these tools should be used says Mr Coplin.
"We allow technology to overtake us, and this way we become slaves to it, so all of these things conspire.
"I know there is more to technology, I know what it can do, I see this stuff we do, the stuff that our competitors do, the potential technology offers a modern society whether it's just work or play.
"It's huge and the challenge is, unless we open our eyes to use that we're never going to get that."
Part of the change Mr Coplin is advocating involves the physical spaces where we do our jobs.
The office was originally the place work had to be done.
Then it was the only place that had the technology necessary to do your job. Now, most of us have better devices at home.
"One of the basic premises of our theory is that the future belongs to creativity. So if we are going to be more competitive as businesses, we are going to do more things differently," he says.
"If you buy that theory open plan offices are terrible."
The argument is that the large open spaces so beloved of modern architects and HR departments end up destroying the very things they were supposed to nurture and encourage.
Technologist and writer Ben Hammersley wrote the introduction to the book.
He likens them to the African savannah - herds of antelopes - or staff - in groups, while at the edge sit the hunters, the managers, with their screens shielded, ready to pounce on the weak or visibly unproductive.
Recent research says these offices make us sick, less productive and unhappy.
To do our best work, we need to get into something called a 'flow state' - it takes the average human 15 minutes to get there.
"When was the last time you had 15 minutes where you weren't distracted by a phone call, email or someone telling you about last night's Eastenders?" says Mr Coplin.
The answer, says Mr Coplin, is to embrace a flatter hierarchy while giving your staff freedom to work flexibly.
But this doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does.
"When I talk to people about flexible working, what they will typically say, oh you mean working from home?" he says.
"Well, sort of.  Actually what I really mean is being mindful of the location that you are going to be able to do the work you have do today. And being really thoughtful about what that is."
The other problem is that working flexibly is often seen as a perk for individuals or people with children - and causes trust issues.
But Mr Coplin's research turned up something interesting.
"The [trust] issue is not between the employer and employee like we thought it would be, it is actually between employees."
The fear of earning your colleague's disdain results in sometimes paranoid behaviour.
"I start to do stupid things. I start to send more emails, I get up early, send a really early email, and then all of a sudden, I am not using the tools effectively," he explains.
"I am doing this because I am worrying about what they are going to be saying."
"You [have to] make it an organisational objective, you say that actually, yes, it is important for individuals but we believe that every single member of the workforce should have the capability to work flexibly."
Although Mr Coplin points out that certain jobs and professions obviously do require bodies on site.
All of this of course hinges on the right technology. And that means using the right tools in the right way, according to Mr Coplin, building his definition of the social enterprise. Simply running a Twitter feed doesn't count.
"We're locked into this really bizarre world where we have a richer technology experience at home than most people have at work. We now communicate really differently at home and in our personal lives than we communicate at work."
"You see the power of what you can do socially, but you see the constraints on how you share and collaborate at work.
"It's going to start to merge, because I think [people have] a higher expectation of how to collaborate."
This is a democratisation of knowledge and participation that Mr Coplin says could help employees feel more invested in their employer.
He describes the 'Ask Me' group used by IT company Merlin, where staff post questions and get answers from people across the company and around the world - shortcutting the route to the right person with the right knowledge.
Despite all this, the majority of organisations that have tried to implement social collaboration have failed.
If this is so beneficial to business, how can this be?
According to Mr Coplin, companies can't be half-hearted - these policies and technologies have to be integrating into the fabric of what people do, rather than used in barely-supported pockets, or in isolation, where they languish and die. As with flexible working, it should be for everyone, not a 'special' few.
"We talk about flexible working, social collaboration, managing people differently, to me it's like a conveyor belt of topics," he says.
"You don't do those three things and then voila, you have re-imagined your business. That's just the beginning of how you start.
"The most important thing is you've got to think differently about both the world that you live in, and the opportunities that lie in front of you as a business, and how you could think differently."
As he talks you get a sense of just how passionate he is about this.
"It's a philosophy, it's a different state of mind about the potential of work," states Mr Coplin.
"I am really lucky, because I sit in this incredible vantage point called Microsoft, and I can see right across different sectors, different sizes of customers, see how all this stuff comes into play.
You can see the potential that exists ... we've got to change."


Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson are one shot off the pace after the second round of the BMW International.

Spaniard Garcia, playing his first event in Europe since winning the Masters, shot a two-under 70 on Friday, leaving him eight under par overall.
Sweden's Stenson, the 2016 winner, carded a three-under 69 in his second round as he continued preparations for a defence of his Open title in July.
The pair are a shot behind Swede Joakim Lagergren and France's Joel Stalter.
England's Tommy Fleetwood, who finished fourth at the US Open on Sunday, is tied for 11th, three strokes adrift of the leaders in Munich.
But compatriot Richard Bland moved level with Garcia and Stenson with a second-round 69.
Fellow Englishman Matthew Southgate was one shot further back on seven under par overall.
"I'm not on top of my game by any means but I think it was a good kind of professional fighting display," Stenson said.
"We kept it pretty tidy, anyway, and made a couple of birdies when we had the chances and didn't drop too many. You don't have to be ashamed of three under I guess around here."


Promises of Â£1.25 billion extra for children and young people's mental health services in England over the next five years generated plenty of headlines.

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has made mental health a policy priority, talked of a "seismic shift" to end the "injustice" of some young people being left without access to care or treatment.
Now the reality and failings of the system have been laid bare by a taskforce of experts and NHS chiefs in England set up by the government.
Their report begs the question of why Mr Clegg and his coalition colleagues have over the last five years allowed children's mental health provision to get to the state its now in.
The report describes how there are an increasing numbers of referrals, longer waiting times and more complex and severe problems being presented by patients.
It says there is a lack of clear leadership and accountability across different agencies, access to crisis services is variable and "real changes" across the system are required.  Children and young people's mental health services are, says the report, facing "ingrained and systemic" problems.
The report looks at the funding issue and notes that money often sits in different budgets in different organisations without adequate information on how it is spent and who is responsible.  The authors note tactfully that "historically" mental health services have suffered when the public sector is under financial pressure.
Translated, that means this area of the health budget has fallen in real terms and the report says that children and adolescent services funding has been reduced as a proportion of overall spending on mental health services.
The report makes clear that there is a strong economic case for protecting the mental wellbeing of children and teenagers.  A mental health problem can greatly increase the risk of physical ill-health - for example, coronary heart disease in adults.  Early intervention, its argued, can result in significant savings in costs to public services in later years.
The taskforce does give credit to the Government for some recent initiatives in the mental health field.   Improved access to psychological therapies, more beds for young patients in areas with the least provision and extra funding for care of young people with eating disorders are moves which get a positive write-up in the report.
But the group of experts and leading lights in the NHS and at the Department of Health who wrote the report are clear that radical reforms are needed.
The status quo, in their view, is in essence not fit for purpose. The fact that as many as 70% of children and adolescents who experience clinical problems have not had the right counselling or treatment at an early enough age speaks for itself.
Mental health charities have welcomed the report and the response by Health Minister Norman Lamb who has unveiled new measures, including better access to care and more support for parents.
Like Mr Clegg, he is strongly committed to improving mental health services. But that question is still lingering - why has it taken till the final weeks of this Government's term of office for a full action plan to be announced?


Margaret Skinnider was the only female combatant to be seriously wounded in the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin.

She was a rebel, fighting in the socialist and feminist Irish Citizen Army against British rule but she was not born in Ireland.
She came from Coatbridge in Lanarkshire and she had an exciting apprenticeship in Scottish radicalism before becoming part of Irish history.
Margaret was born in 1892 at 116 Main Street, Coatbridge, now a busy pedestrian shopping precinct that still mixes religion and politics in a way she would have appreciated.
A few yards from the local Catholic Church, a St Patrick's Festival shop hosts a signpost giving the miles to Belfast and Dublin, and there's a well-staffed street stall for an independent socialist party.
The parish priest at St Patrick's, Father Eamonn Sweeney, has the baptismal record for Margaret's elder sister Mary Charlotte, but not for Margaret herself.
Baptismal records were not always complete in those days.
Soon after she was born, her family were on their way up in the world.
Her parents moved in the 1900s to the west end of Glasgow where they ran second-hand goods shops and educated their daughters as teachers.
The boys in the family travelled abroad for work, leaving Margaret to grow up in a highly-educated and female-dominated household.
She became a school teacher and a militant suffragette.
New research by Kirsty Lusk of Glasgow University has shown that Margaret was involved in the pickets at Perth Prison where hunger-striking suffragists were force-fed.
She was happy to take a shift picketing at the prison gates during the royal visit to Perth in 1914 for she "cared not for Kings and Queens".
Nevertheless, when war broke out she joined a rifle club for the "defence of the British empire", probably the City of Glasgow Women's Rifle Club.
This club practised not far from the school where she taught in Maryhill, the idea being for women to defend themselves against atrocities in the event of a German invasion.
She became a crack shot, a skill she'd employ later in ways that would have caused her feather-hatted instructors to reach for the smelling salts.
According to Kirsty Lusk, it was around this time that Margaret joined the Glasgow-based Ann Devlin branch of Cumann na mBan, the women's section of the Irish Volunteers, and helped their efforts to steal weapons and explosives.
Soon she became a smuggler, crossing the Irish Sea with detonators hidden in her hat.
This was dangerous stuff, and not just from the risk of getting caught - one false move could have set them off.
From this it was a short step to joining her heroine Countess Markievicz in the Irish Citizen Army, under fellow-Scot James Connolly, and taking part in the rising on Easter Monday 1916.
Margaret served initially with the group positioned around St Stephen's Green, first of all cycling around Dublin braving rifle and machine gun fire to carry dispatches to the occupied GPO, then as a sniper herself in the Royal College of Surgeons.
She recorded that several times she shot at men and saw them fall.
By Wednesday of Easter Week, she was arguing with male commanders that she should be involved in the riskiest missions.
The proclamation of the Irish Republic guaranteed equal rights to women and Margaret was willing to face equal dangers.
However while on a fire-raising mission, a member of her group tried to force open the door of a house with his loaded gun.
It went off, betraying their position and they drew fire from British troops.
Margaret was hit three times.
She was carried back to the College of Surgeons where her comrades dug the bullets out of her back and tried to disinfect her wounds with "corrosive sublimate" (mercuric chloride).
Only they got it wrong and badly burned her skin.
After the surrender, in agony from her wounds and suffering from pneumonia, she was taken to St Vincent's Hospital. She lived, but it was close.
Her severe injuries spared her a prison sentence and her "loyal Scots accent" helped her get a permit to go home to Scotland.
But by December she was in New York.
Here she joined the PR effort for the Irish Republican cause with her book Doing My Bit for Ireland.
Eventually she moved back to Ireland.
Here, according to Kirsty Lusk, in 1925 her pension application was rejected because she was told that the Army Pensions Act was "only applicable to soldiers as generally understood in the masculine sense".
It must have been a galling piece of sexism for the veteran suffragette and republican, but she persevered and in 1938 was finally awarded her pension. She died on 10 October, 1971.
Although she is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, near Countess Markievicz, her name is still remembered today in her native Coatbridge.


The collapse of delivery firm City Link has exposed the flaws in the insolvency system, two groups of MPs have said.

A joint report from two parliamentary committees concludes that the current system is too heavily skewed in favour of investors over workers.
It also said City Link took a "deliberate decision" not to inform employees of its likely failure.
About 2,700 people lost their jobs when City Link collapsed over Christmas, and 1,000 contractors also lost out.
"The current insolvency system fails to offer sufficient protection to workers, suppliers and contractors alike," said Adrian Bailey, chairman of the Business Committee.
"Investors and directors are cushioned from the impact of failure while workers, suppliers, and contractors pay the highest price. The balance needs to be shifted so that our insolvency system is no longer skewed in favour of investors and directors," he added.
The report says that under the current rules it is in the financial interest of a company to break the law and ignore the statutory redundancy consultation process, if the fine for doing so is less than the cost of continuing to trade.
The fine will end up being paid by the taxpayer, it pointed out.
Analysis: John Moylan, BBC business correspondent
MPs believe that insolvency law has failed to keep pace with modern employment practices.
As well as direct employees, City Link's workforce included many who were self-employed or contractors. They were often small businesses with staff of their own.
When City Link collapsed, many of them folded too.
But while the firm's employees will receive much of what they were owed - these contractors may end up getting back as little as 2p for every pound.
So MPs say the order in which creditors are paid out in an insolvency needs to change. That would amount to a major shake up in insolvency rules.
Without protection for lenders - companies might find it much harder to get investment.
The MPs recommend that the order in which money is paid out in insolvencies should be changed to give precedence to all workers, whether directly employed or not.
"While the financial calculation is simple, ignoring the consultation period has a high human cost that appears not to have featured in the decision making process at City Link," the report said.
Irfan Khan was a subcontractor for City Link and lost at least £80,000 from the firm's collapse. He told Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money that he had no idea that City Link was in difficulty and that he had invested in five new vehicles before Christmas.
"We've lost everything," he said. "It's killed our business."
He said he had been told that he would get back between zero and 2p per pound from what he is owed.
Mr Bailey said: "We are dismayed that, although it was clear for some time that there were serious questions over the ability to continue trading after December 2014, small businesses and self-employed drivers working for City Link were encouraged to take on additional costs, despite the company being aware that there was a strong possibility that they would not receive payment for a significant part of their work in December.
"There is no doubt that contractors were deliberately deceived as to the true state of the business. City Link and [owner] Better Capital are morally, if not legally, responsible for the difficulties that many of these individuals and small business now find themselves in," he added.
Better Capital says the accusation that it deliberately deceived contractors is "ill-founded". It says that it did not stand to gain financially from trading even after it became clear, on 22 December, that the firm would have to go into administration, which it eventually did on 24 December.
"In our view, the company took a deliberate and brave decision to trade for the extra two days, which it could only do if it did not announce its likely administration," Better Capital said in a statement.
The company said that if it had stopped trading on 22 December, many parcels would not have been delivered, resulting in unnecessary financial loss for customers and "very substantial disappointment for families at Christmas".
It could also have resulted in massive financial claims against City Link, possibly more than £10m, the statement added.


Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova will not appeal against her ban from the Rio Olympic Games.

Athlete Stepanova, who helped expose state-backed doping, was ruled out when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned from Rio any Russian who had served a doping suspension.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) outlawed that ruling on Thursday.
But Stepanova, 30, said she was "hugely sad and heartbroken" at a lack of IOC support and therefore will not appeal.
Stepanova, who served a two-year ban for blood passport abnormalities in 2013, was not included in Russia's team but had hoped to be invited to the Games by the IOC to compete under a neutral flag.
She and husband Vitaly, a former Russian anti-doping official, said in a statement that the IOC had "turned a blind eye" to the risks the 800m runner took in exposing "systematic cheating in Russia".
"We believe that in exercising this discretion to deny Yuliya a place in the competition, it sends a message that the World Anti-Doping Code and the values of Olympism are merely words on a page," the statement added.
"As a result, we will not file an appeal to Cas."
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Scots from all walks of life have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

They include composer James MacMillan, who is to be knighted, while children's author Aileen Paterson is awarded an MBE.
Motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner Gordon Aikman is awarded the British Empire Medal.
John Muir, who has campaigned against knife crime following the murder of his son, receives an MBE.
And Edinburgh-born broadcaster Nicky Campbell has been given an OBE for services to children.
Campbell, a regular on TV and radio for years, has spoken openly about his experience of being adopted and is a patron of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF).
Dr MacMillan, who wrote a new choral piece which was sung when Pope Benedict XVI conducted mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow in 2010, is being knighted for services to music.
His compositions are widely played around the world by performers ranging from top international orchestras to local church and community choirs.
Dr MacMillan said: "I am totally delighted to receive this honour. I am especially pleased that the world of music, and contemporary composition in particular, will receive greater focus and recognition as a result."
The 55-year-old composer, who was born in Kilwinning in North Ayrshire, has previously described the high point of his career as "writing a piece for the unveiling of a statue of the founder of Celtic FC".
Mr Aikman, 30, from Edinburgh, is being awarded the British Empire Medal after raising Â£300,000 to raise awareness of MND, which he was diagnosed with last year.
The former Scottish Labour spindoctor, who set up his GordonsFightback.com campaign after being diagnosed, said: "Day in, day out thousands of people across this country are bravely battling this disease.
"I want to share this honour with each and every one of my fellow fighters."
Aileen Paterson, the creator of Maisie the kitten, is also among those to receive an honour.
The author, who penned the much-loved series of books about adventures of a cat from Edinburgh's Morningside, is being awarded with an MBE for services to children's literature.
The same honour has been awarded to campaigner John Muir, who led demands for tougher sentences for knife crime after his son Damian was stabbed to death in the centre of Greenock in 2007.
From the sporting world, Peter Dawson, the chief executive of The R&A and secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, is recognised with an OBE.
Mr Dawson will step down in September after 16 years leading the body which organises the Open Championship.
Iain McMillan, who was the director of the CBI in Scotland for almost two decades, is to be knighted for his services to the economy north of the border.
The same honour goes to Prof Pete Downes, who has been the principal and vice-chancellor of Dundee University since 2009, in recognition of his work in higher education and life sciences.
Prof Downes is one of the UK's most distinguished and cited bioscientists, and identified the role of the drug Lithium in treating manic depression.
Dr Lena Wilson, the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, the national economic development agency, is recognised for her efforts with a CBE.
As part of her role, she has travelled to more than 60 countries across the world, promoting Scottish business interests and advising governments on foreign investment and private sector development.
Lynne McNicoll, who has raised more than Â£1m to support children with cancer and their families, will be presented with an OBE.
Her fundraising activities inspired her to set up the Edinburgh-based charity It's Good 2 Give five years ago, and she has continued to raise funds despite being diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.
The charity is currently raising funds to build a special centre where youngsters with cancer and their families can go for breaks of up to seven days.
She said: "I am astonished to receive this sort of recognition, it's a tremendous honour. I lead a unique team of volunteers, including our trustees, who have supported so many families through their cancer ordeal."


An annual dog meat festival has begun in southern China, amid widespread domestic and international opposition.

About 10,000 dogs and cats are expected to be killed and eaten during the controversial 10-day festival in Yulin.
Activists say the event is cruel, and this year a petition calling for it to be banned collected 11 million signatures.
The local government says the festival does not have official backing but is staged by private businesses.
The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival sees people gathering in Yulin to sample dog meat hotpot, lychee fruits and local liquor.
A tradition of eating dog meat dates back some 500 years in China, South Korea and other countries, where many believe it wards off the heat in summer months.
However the Yulin festival, celebrated during the summer solstice, is a relatively new one, beginning only in recent years.
Residents and vendors in Yulin say the animals are killed in a humane way. But critics say animals are killed brutally and publicly, and are sometimes beaten to death or cooked while still alive.
Ahead of the festival, dogs are often kept in small, cramped cages. Some photographs show animals wearing collars, suggesting they may have been stolen pets.
Many dogs are transported from other cities in cramped lorries and unsanitary conditions, allowing diseases to spread easily. According to campaign group  Stop Yulin Forever, dogs are denied food and water for days during their trip.
Selling dog meat for human consumption is legal in China, with an estimated 10 million dogs killed for human consumption every year.
The Yulin event is a source of pride for many locals, with many restaurants serving dog dishes and people travelling to the city to join in. But it attracts widespread and growing criticism each year.
A poll published this week in state news agency Xinhua showed that 64% of people aged 16 to 50 would support a permanent end to the festival.
Another 51.7%, including Yulin residents, wanted the dog meat trade banned completely, with 69.5% claiming to have never eaten dog meat.
"It's embarrassing to us that the world wrongly believes that the brutally cruel Yulin festival is part of Chinese culture," said Qin Xiaona, director of the Capital Animal Welfare Association charity, one of many groups that commissioned the survey. "It isn't."
Many activist groups, like Humane Society International (HSI) are also working to rescue dogs from local slaughterhouses. The HSI rescued 20 dogs from a slaughterhouse just a day ahead of the festival.
"It's shocking to think that if we had not been there, all these animals would have been beaten to death and eaten," said Peter Li, HSI's China policy specialist.
On China's Sina Weibo social network, the majority of netizens have voiced disapproval, with one user saying his dog was "family, not food".
However, another Weibo user said it was hypocritical to say that eating other forms of meat such as pork was alright, yet shun dog meat just because dogs "were cute".
The Yulin government has distanced itself from the gathering, saying that it does not officially organise the festival.
This year, media reports say officials have banned the slaughter of dogs in public. In anticipation of protests, they have also increased security on streets near well-known restaurants and markets.
HSI says it believes that business is slowing down.
"A Yulin official told us that contrary to what has been reported in some media, dog meat sales have in fact been declining continuously," said Mr Li. "The authorities seem nervous and are alerting government employees to stay away from the dog meat restaurants."
Andrea Gung, founder of the Duo Duo project which aims to end the dog and cat meat trade, says the local government is aware of the problem, but no one wants to "stick their neck out" to stop it.
However, one dog meat seller said that the opposition to the festival had actually backfired.
"Because of the protests, more people know that Yulin has a dog meat festival, so everyone comes and tries it," Lin told AFP.


Leading female arts figures, including Baroness Bakewell and Baroness Jowell, have asked the government to explain why it blocked the appointment of Anthea Efunshile to Channel 4's board.

Efunshile was the only female candidate put forward by Ofcom to join the board.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley vetoed her appointment.
Playwright Bonnie Greer and Baroness Amos have also signed a letter requesting an explanation from Mrs Bradley.
"We are united in our belief that Althea was an outstanding candidate and would have been a tremendous addition to the Channel 4 board," the letter to the culture secretary says.
"We are writing to you to express our dismay at your unprecedented decision to block the appointment... and call on you to explain the reasoning behind this decision as a matter of urgency."
Mrs Bradley did approve four white males to the board who were also put forward by Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator.
Baroness Rebuck, chair of book publisher Penguin Random House UK, is also among the signatories of the letter.
"We strongly feel that the decision to block Althea Efunshile's appointment to the Channel 4 board undermines the government's warm words on boardroom diversity," it states.
"It represents a significant step in the wrong direction that will do real and lasting damage to efforts to boost diversity in leadership positions across business, the professions and public life."
More than 50 MPs have also written to Mrs Bradley to request an explanation for the rejection of Efunshile, who is a former deputy of Arts Council England.
In response, Mrs Bradley said she was "in full agreement in the need to ensure our public institutions and appointments represent and reflect modern Britain".
She added: "I do, however, firmly reject any suggestion that female or BAME [Black, Asian and minority ethnic] candidates are treated unfairly in our public appointment decisions."
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said Mrs Bradley had "approved four candidates on the basis that they met the specific skills and experiences set out in Ofcom's advertised job descriptions".
David Lammy, a former culture minister, also raised the issue during last week's Prime Minster's Questions.
"Does [Mrs Bradley] think there isn't a woman or a black person in the country worthy of being on the board of Channel 4?" he asked.
Theresa May responded: "I will look into the issue [Mr Lammy] has raised but I have to say to him that this is always a question of the right person for the job.
"Issues around the question he has raised don't come into it, it is about who is right for the job."
Ofcom is responsible for finding, vetting and appointing Channel 4 board members.
Traditionally, the names put forward by the regulator are then approved by the government. The rejection of one candidate by the government is unusual.
Efunshile, who left Arts Council England this year, was made a CBE in June for services to arts and culture.
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A woman has denied killing her two daughters at an address in Bradford.

Italian national Samira Lupidi, 24, was arrested following the deaths of Jasmine Weaver, one, and Evelyn Lupidi, three, on 17 November.
Post-mortem examinations found they both died from multiple stab wounds.
Ms Lupidi denied two charges of murder at Bradford Crown Court earlier and was remanded in custody. A provisional trial date has been set for 9 May.
Updates on this story and more from around West Yorkshire


DJ Edu from BBC's urban music station 1Xtra is on a journey to find the best nightclub in Africa.

16 January 2015 Last updated at 13:12 GMT
In his native Kenya, he met the biggest band at the moment, Sauti Sol, hot from winning the MTV Best African Act award.
They are on a mission to reclaim the identity of East African music and dance after the dominance from West Africa, particularly Nigeria, in recent years.
DJ Edu and team would like to know the name of your favourite club and why you like it. Get in touch on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, using #ClubAfricaBBC. Make sure to include your location.


More crimes are being committed in cyberspace in north Wales than on the streets, its police and crime commissioner has claimed.

North Wales PCC Arfon Jones also warned businesses were "most at risk".
The North Wales Police Cyber Crime Team said ransomware crimes - where hackers encrypt files and demand thousands of pounds to unlock them - were being reported to the force "each week".
Mr Jones said: "The front line is now online."
He went on: "Technology has provided criminals with new tools and different methods to perpetrate crime.
"Traditional crimes such as burglary, shoplifting and theft have seen a reduction over the last decade but the number of offences hasn't reduced - it has moved online.
"The playing field has changed and we need to work more effectively in partnership to prevent the newer crimes, such as cyber-crime, from being committed."
He issued the warning to members of the North Wales Business Club on Monday.
It heard how one firm in Wrexham nearly folded after it had 15 years' of accounts data encrypted.
Det Sgt Peter Jarvis, of the cyber crime team, said businesses that do not have data back-ups were "left with some difficult decisions".
"It's very unlikely you will find the person responsible, they don't leave a footprint, so it's vital to have the right security and to follow the right procedures and to make sure your staff do as well," he added.
ONS figures released in July showed almost six million fraud and cyber crimes were committed in England and Wales in 2015.


Britons Gemma Tattersall and Nicola Wilson are inside the top 10 at the halfway stage of the European Eventing Championships in Strzegom.

Rio 2016 Olympian Tattersall, riding Quicklook V, posted a personal best score of 33.1 penalties to sit in fourth place after the dressage.
Wilson produced another sub-40 score on her horse Bulanaafter to lie seventh.
GB's third pairing, Tina Cook and horse Billy the Red, are in 12th place going into tomorrow's cross country.
"I feel that Quicklook and I are on form enough that we can ride for ourselves and get an individual medal for GB," said Tattersall.
"That's the aim, and I'll be doing my absolute best to try and achieve that."
At the end of the dressage phase Germany dominate the individual rankings holding the top three medal places.
Meanwhile in the team competition, Germany also sit in gold medal position with a score of 87.7 penalties, whilst France and Great Britain are battling it out for silver and bronze on 111.8 and 111.9 penalties.


Plans to build a major hydro scheme on the site of an opencast mine in the south of Scotland have been revealed.

Developers claim the 100MW project at Glenmuckloch, near Kirckconnel, could generate power for more than a century.
It is the latest in a series of renewable energy schemes planned for the site, which is owned by Buccleuch Estates.
They are part of a project to redevelop the opencast mine as Glenmuckloch Energy Park.
The details have emerged in a scoping report for the pumped storage hydro scheme submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council.
Buccleuch Estates has joined with mining company Hargreaves and 2020 Renewables to draw up the plans.
It will involve creating two reservoirs - one higher than the other - which will be connected by a tunnel with a pump-turbine.
The report states: "When excess electricity exists within the grid the pump-turbines go into pumping mode lifting water to the upper pond and when demand within the network exceeds available supply the pump-turbines reverse and change to generating mode with water released from the upper pond."
If the project goes ahead, the lower reservoir will be created from the existing opencast void, while a second, upper pond will be excavated at the head of Halfmerk Hill.
The higher reservoir will have a water depth of 22m (72 feet), creating 3.3million cubic metres of water storage.
The redevelopment of Glenmuckloch follows the collapse of surface mining firm Aardvark TMC in 2013, leaving a shortfall in the money needed to restore the site to its pre-opencast condition.
However since then Buccleuch Estates and Hargreaves have worked to implement a rolling programme of restoration in parallel with coaling operations.
Later this summer two community wind turbines will be built to the west of the hydro site.
Earlier this year plans for an eight turbine wind farm next to the mine were submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council.


Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is starting a 30-day treatment course, as police investigate a new video that allegedly shows him smoking crack cocaine.

His lawyer told the Associated Press that Mr Ford had boarded a plane to Chicago for a treatment programme.
Rob Ford announced on Wednesday he would leave his re-election campaign to get help for substance abuse.
The Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper says it has viewed a video showing the mayor smoking a crack pipe.
The paper says it was filmed on Saturday morning.
Mr Ford - who is still seeking re-election on 27 October - released a statement which said: "I have tried to deal with these issues by myself over the past year. I know that I need professional help and I am now 100% committed to getting myself right.
"I have a problem with alcohol, and the choices I have made while under the influence."
His lawyer would not say whether Chicago was Mr Ford's final destination.
Rob Ford's brother Doug also confirmed the mayor was entering a residential course at an unspecified location.
"As an older brother, I'm relieved that Rob has faced his problems and decided to seek professional help," Doug Ford told CBC News.
"This isn't an easy thing for anyone to do... especially when you're mayor of this city."
By Daniel NasawBBC News, Washington
This may be Rob Ford's best shot at winning another four years in office.
The polls show that despite the embarrassing videos, outbursts and antics, he remains in contention with his two chief challengers, John Tory on the centre-right and Olivia Chow on the left. That is because his core supporters in Toronto's inner suburbs - the "Ford Nation" - are steadfast in their loyalty.
But with months to go until October's vote, it remains to be seen whether he can build on that base among the mass of Toronto voters who are embarrassed by his behaviour or who disagree with his conservative politics.
If Mr Ford emerges from his treatment looking healthy, sober and ready to get to work, he may convince Toronto to give him another chance.
Meanwhile, Canadian police have reopened an investigation into Rob Ford's drug use following the claims of a new video.
"Investigators would be interested to see what new information there is," Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said.
Toronto police are said to have spent months watching Rob Ford and his former driver in 2013 as part of a drug gang investigation.
Rob Ford has already been stripped of many of his powers after admitting using and purchasing illegal drugs while mayor.
Following months of denials, Rob Ford admitted last year to smoking crack cocaine in a "drunken stupor" after police said they had obtained a video that appeared to show him taking the illegal drug.
Mr Ford's challengers in the upcoming election reacted swiftly to the rehab announcement.
"On a personal level, I am relieved Mayor Ford is getting help," businessman John Tory said in a statement. "For the good of the city, I call on Mayor Ford to resign."
Former New Democratic Party MP Olivia Chow said his decision to seek treatment came too late and it was time for a new mayor.
Mr Ford was first elected to lead Canada's largest city in 2010 on a pledge to tackle wasteful spending at city hall, drawing much of his support from the suburban areas of Toronto.
In the fallout from the drugs scandal last year, the city council stripped Mr Ford of most of his mayoral powers and his budget.
In another potentially embarrassing development, the Toronto Sun said it had obtained a new audio recording of him making abusive comments about Councillor Karen Stintz, who is running for mayor, and other politicians.


A murder investigation has begun over a man who was fatally stabbed in front of dozens of customers at an over-21s bar in north-west London.

Josh Hanson, of Kingsbury, north-west London, was stabbed in the neck at the RE bar in Eastcote, Hillingdon.
He died at the scene shortly after 01:10 BST on Sunday.
Scotland Yard said about 40 people were in the bar at the time of the attack and urged anyone there after midnight to contact them with information.
No arrests have yet been made.
Det Ch Insp Noel McHugh said: "It is believed there would have been around 40 people present at the time of the incident, many of whom left the venue as paramedics worked to save Josh's life. It is imperative these people contact us to let us know what they saw.
"We are also keen to hear from anyone who was in Field End Road area at around 01:00 Sunday who may have seen or heard anything that they now think might be because of the incident at the RE bar."


Gusts of up to 70mph could bring disruption to parts of south east Wales on Friday, the Met Office has warned.

It said travel may be affected as trees could be brought down while surface water could develop due to heavy rain.
A yellow "be aware" warning for wind covers Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport and Vale of Glamorgan.
It is in place from 11:00 GMT on Friday until the early hours of Saturday but southern England is expected to be worst hit by Storm Doris.
People living near coasts have been advised to stay away from the seafront, with several coastal flood alerts issued by Natural Resources Wales.
Matt Crofts, lifesaving delivery manager for the RNLI, said: "The water can be unpredictable at the best of times but it is particularly dangerous during bad weather.
"We are urging everyone to respect the water and to keep safe during the upcoming rough weather and would remind people not to underestimate the distance waves can travel up the beach or harbour wall.
"Although it can be tempting to get close, it isn't worth risking your life to take photos or to dodge waves."
High winds on Thursday evening led to three women being injured after a tree fell onto a car in Pembrokeshire during high winds.
Their car had to be winched from under the tree by Mid and West Wales firefighters in Narberth.
The B4314 remains closed in both directions on Friday morning in the area.
There are also restrictions on the M48 Severn Bridge due to high winds, with one lane closed and a 40mph speed limit in force.
The ferry company Stena Line is also reporting delays on Irish sea crossings between Holyhead and Dublin, with its 08:55 GMT sailing delayed by about two hours on Friday morning.


Researchers have discovered 381 new species during a two-year study in the Amazon region.

The report by the WWF conservation body and Brazil's Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development said that on average a new species was discovered every two days.
But all the newly discovered animals and plants were found in areas at risk from human activity, the authors warn.
More than 2,000 new species were found between 1999 and 2015.
The report, published in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, is the third in a series and covers the years 2014 and 2015.
The Amazon rainforest, the largest in the world, is famous for its diversity of species and habitats.
Ricardo Mello, co-ordinator of the WWF Brazil Amazon programme, said the fact that researchers were still finding hundreds of species was proof that there was much more work to be done in the region.
But Mr Mello warned that human activity such as farming and logging were posing a risk to the flora and fauna of the Amazon.
"All the species that were discovered, all 381, are in areas where humankind is destroying the Amazon. This is very important to us, because it links the fact that our economic activities are causing species to go extinct before we even know about them," he said.
The report comes at a time of heated discussion in Brazil about the use of natural reserves for mining.
On Wednesday, a court suspended a government decree that would have opened up the vast Renca reserve in the eastern Amazon to commercial mining.
The decree, which was backed by President Michel Temer, was described by opponents as "the biggest attack on the Amazon in the last 50 years".
The government said it would appeal against the court's suspension.


Paul Dzido remembers the weeks after the horsemeat scandal was revealed last year - because business boomed.

He runs the Hook and Cleaver butcher in Ealing, west London.
"At the time trade really did go through the roof, especially with mince products, burgers, sausages, things like that," he says.
Consumers had lost confidence in some supermarket products and favoured local butchers like Mr Dzido who could tell them more about the meat they were buying.
The scandal emerged in mid-January, when Irish food inspectors announced they had found traces of horsemeat in some frozen beefburgers stocked by UK supermarkets including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl.
Over the next few months a number of stores and suppliers across the UK and Europe had to remove products labelled as beef after test results revealed they contained varying quantities of horsemeat - in some cases up to 100%.
As a result sales of frozen burgers and frozen ready meals plunged. The most dramatic decline came in March and April of last year when frozen burger sales tumbled 41% compared with the same months in 2012, according to figures from industry analysts Kantar Worldpanel.
Frozen ready meals also saw a sharp drop in sales, falling 11% in March and 15% in April.
But since that panic the frozen burger has made a comeback. For the 12 weeks to 8 December 2013, burger sales were down just 1% compared with the same period in 2012.
The reason? Heavy discounting. Food retailers, including Iceland, discounted burgers after the crisis and shoppers found that hard to resist, particularly at a time when many households were struggling with tighter budgets.
"If something is out there at half price you get huge spikes in sales, people immediately react to that," says Ed Garner, communications director at Kantar Worldpanel.
However, frozen ready meals have not seen the same kind of recovery. The most recent figures show sales still down 6% compared with a year ago.
Analysts say that is probably because shoppers were uncertain about the quality of frozen ready meals, even before the horsemeat scandal broke.
"People were already predisposed to suspect frozen foods were somehow inferior," says Mr Garner.
"It kind of confirmed matters when people saw that a frozen ready meal turned out to be all horse and no meat."
As well as affecting sales, the horsemeat scandal has changed the way some customers shop for food.
An Ipsos Mori poll run in partnership with the Grocer magazine shows that almost a third of respondents said the incident had "permanently impacted" the way they chose and bought food.
And a survey carried out on behalf consumer organisation Which? in late November found that 49% of respondents said the horsemeat incident had changed their shopping habits, with 25% saying they bought less processed meat and 17% saying they bought more products from butchers and farmers' markets.
And it seems that value for money is still the main concern for many shoppers.
"Twenty-six per cent of the British public are buying cheaper food than they were a year ago, which may suggest that price is still a central factor in food choices," says Stephen Yap, head of Ipsos MarketQuest.
According to the Ipsos Mori poll, Tesco and Iceland suffered more damage to their reputations from the incident than other supermarket chains.
Ipsos Mori asked if people felt more or less favourable towards the six major UK supermarkets after the incident. In response, 20% of those polled said they felt less favourably about Tesco, and 14% felt less favourably about Iceland.
But both chains would probably point to the fact that almost 70% of respondents "felt the same" about them.
A Tesco spokesperson told the BBC: "The horsemeat issue impacted customer confidence across the retail industry. In response to the issue, we promised our customers we would make significant changes, and we have done so.
"We take nothing for granted and will continue to work hard to ensure customers know our food is of the highest quality."
Iceland did not respond to a BBC enquiry.
Retailers have been working hard to regain trust, according to industry body the British Retail Consortium: "Over the last 12 months suppliers have been reassessed, supply chains are less complex including an increase in sourcing from the UK, there has been an increase in the unannounced audits of suppliers, and increased testing of ingredients."
Back in Ealing, Mr Dzido is proud of the fact that he travels to Smithfield meat market and personally selects the meat sold in his shop.
"We offer a bit more than supermarkets do. We are in more direct contact with the farmers, there's less people in the chain before we process any of the meat.
"I know every ounce of meat hanging in my fridge, what it is and where it's come from."


The NHS in England has met its four-hour A&E waiting-time target for the first time since September.

The 95% target had not been hit for 33 consecutive weeks, since late last September.
Figures for the week ending 24 May show 95.1% of A&E patients spent four hours or less from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
NHS England praised its front-line staff for dealing with high workload demands during a tough winter.
A spokesman said: "These latest figures are testament to the excellent services our front-line staff continue to deliver while coming under sustained pressure."
The improvement comes as the NHS enters the summer period when these pressures tend to ease.
Dr Clifford Mann, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said there was no room for complacency.
"There is still pressure on the system, which in our view is operating at full capacity."
He said some A&E units were still not meeting the four-hour target and were stymied by a shortage of hospital beds.
"This exit block must be addressed otherwise the winter of 2015-16 will be hugely challenging," he warned.
Latest figures show targets for waits in A&E are being missed in other parts of the UK.
In Wales, 83% of patients are being seen within four hours. In Scotland, the figure is 92% and in Northern Ireland it is just under 74%.


A man has gone on trial accused of murdering his mother and hiding her body under a caravan in Fife.

Ross Taggart, 31, denies murdering Carol Anne Taggart between 21 December last year and 11 January this year.
He is alleged to have repeatedly struck her on the head "by means unknown" and compressed her throat using his hands or an unidentified item.
He is then alleged to have hidden her body under a caravan in Pettycur Bay, Kinghorn.
He is accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice between 21 December and 14 January this year.
He is also alleged to have tidied, cleaned, removed and attempted to remove blood staining and other forensic evidence from his mother's address in Hill of St Margaret, Dunfermline, a caravan and the boot of a car.
He is also charged with reporting his mother missing to police and stealing Â£700 between 22 December and 31 December last year by using her bank card and PIN number at cash machines in Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Edinburgh.
Taggart is further charged with fraudulently obtaining Â£380 worth of goods and services by using his mother's credit card and stealing a bangle and ring belonging to his mother. It is claimed that he exchanged the bangle for Â£100 at a pawnbrokers and tried to sell the ring.
The trial, at the High Court in Edinburgh, is estimated to last three weeks.


Wales prop Rob Evans admits the pressure is on him after being selected ahead of Gethin Jenkins for the Six Nations game against Ireland.

The 23-year-old Scarlets loose-head will win his fourth cap in Dublin, with 119-times capped Jenkins on the bench.
He concedes Jenkins and Paul James - who does not make the match day squad - were his idols as a young player.
"It's definitely a big opportunity for me but Gethin and Paul aren't bad boys to fall back on," he said.
"If I don't take it, there are two boys behind me, Paul and Gethin, who will."
Coach Warren Gatland's decision to opt for the youth of Evans against the defending champions hints at long-term planning for the 2019 World Cup.
According the the New Zealander, 35-year-old Jenkins is unlikely to be at the tournament and Ospreys loose-head James is only two years younger.
Evans, who missed out on selection for the 2015 World Cup, has also impressed the Wales management with his displays for the Scarlets in the Pro12.
He said he was delighted with his selection and was full of praise for the senior players.
"I started playing rugby when Gethin and Paul were doing really well," he added.
"It was good to watch them and I'm still learning off them today.
"It's awesome really to be picked ahead of a Lion and Paul, who has 60 plus caps, so you can take a lot of of confidence from that.
"They are really tidy people as well."
And asked if Jenkins had spoken to him following the team announcement, Evans laughed: "Yes, he just said: 'Your lungs are going to be burning on Sunday'."


Luke Procter's watchful century for Lancashire left Durham a final-day victory target of 247 at Southport.

The hosts lost their last five wickets for 54 runs and were 333 all out in their second innings, which was wrapped up just before the close on day three.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes (3-50) broke a second-wicket stand of 114 between Procter and Haseeb Hameed when the latter was caught at slip for 53.
But Procter (122) got to three figures off 235 balls, his second ton of 2016.
The 28-year-old left-hander spent exactly six hours at the crease, although he should have been run out and was also dropped by wicketkeeper Michael Richardson before bringing up his third first-class century.
Procter was eventually caught at leg gully off leg-spinner Scott Borthwick (3-98), who took some late punishment as tail-ender Nathan Buck smashed 27 not out, including two huge sixes in an over which cost 18 runs.
The victorious team will climb up to second in Division One.
Durham's Stokes and Lancashire paceman James Anderson have been recalled by England for the second Test against Pakistan, which starts at Old Trafford on Friday
Hameed was Stokes' first scalp, the teenage opener gloving a rising short ball to substitute fielder Jeremy Benton at slip, and he returned later to remove Simon Kerrigan and Matt Parkinson.
Buck replaced Anderson, who successfully proved his fitness to the England selectors following a shoulder injury, in the Lancashire side at the start of the third day's play.
Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes: "The back's fine and the knee's fine, which is the main thing.
"It's my first game back and I've got through it - to know I can run in unrestricted and bowl overs is good."


Even before rioting erupted and spread across Ferguson into the early hours of Tuesday morning, the town had been bracing itself for violence.

BBC journalists covered the events of the night from around the town. This account has been compiled from their reports.
Reporting from Ferguson by BBC's David Botti, Lynsea Garrison, Bahman Kalbasi, Aleem Maqbool, Franz Strasser and Rajini Vaidyanathan. Reporting from Washington, DC, by Anthony Zurcher.
A crowd had assembled outside the Ferguson Police Department in the chilly winter air.
They waited, almost as at a vigil, for the announcement of whether a grand jury would order officer Darren Wilson to stand trial for the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
Few of the protesters expected good news - for them, that meant an indictment - as they gathered around nearby cars, listening to radio reports from the St Louis County courthouse, miles away.
Outside the police department, officers in regular uniforms stood behind crowd-control fences. On the corner of Chambers and W Florissant, a major commercial intersection a few miles away, Missouri National Guard in battle camouflage and armoured vehicles began assuming their positions.
Throughout the town of Ferguson, shops boarded their windows and residents stayed off the streets, preparing for the worst - a replay of August's violent clashes between protestors and law enforcement in the days after the shooting.
Their fears would soon become a reality.
Roughly a third of the way through his lengthy press statement, Prosecutor Robert McCulloch broke the news that "no probable cause exists to file any charges against officer Wilson".
The police quickly donned riot gear - shields and helmets. Protesters, along with camera-toting members of the media - pressed against the barricades outside the police station, and objects were lobbed toward the police phalanx.
Popping noises - possibly gunfire - echoed across the street, causing many in the crowd to duck. Others began moving south along S Florissant, where they were met by another line of police.
As President Barack Obama took to the air to urge calm, the situation in Ferguson began to quickly deteriorate. He urged the members of the  local community to work with the police to address the town's problems.
"That won't be done by throwing bottles," he said. "That won't be done by smashing car windows. That won't be done by using this as an excuse to vandalise property. And it certainly won't be done by hurting anybody."
While much of the protesting remained peaceful, video from Ferguson revealed a competing reality.
As the president's words hung in the air, windows across the street from the Ferguson police department shattered and shops were looted.
Half a dozen people began trying to flip over an empty police car parked a block away. Fireworks - and possibly other incendiary devices - lit the street and the sky.
The police moved quickly, blanketing S Florissant with tear gas - they originally claimed they had only used smoke canisters. From the south a row of four armoured vehicles began a slow roll toward the police station. Loudspeakers ordered the crowd to disperse.
One man temporarily halted the advance, standing alone in front of the lead vehicle, his arms extended - but his protest only lasted a few minutes.
The crowd had almost entirely vanished into the surrounding neighbourhoods as the police cleared the street near the station. In a surrealistic moment, riot-gear-clad officers advanced under a glowing "Season's Greetings" banner hung across the street.
At about the same time, the car that had been nearly capsized earlier was set ablaze. Then another nearby vehicle was also set on fire.
With the area around the Ferguson Police station secure, reports began surfacing of violence in other areas of town. A few blocks to the north, looters streamed into a Walgreens pharmacy. A nearby pizza restaurant was engulfed in flames.
Back on West Florissant, another fire broke out at a public storage facility, while a McDonald's was looted. Video showed one man emerging from the restaurant carrying the restaurant's television set. More buildings burned - a liquor market, an auto parts store and #HealSTL, a community outreach centre.
As the hours stretched toward midnight and beyond, reports continued to stream in of automatic gunfire, with additional streets bathed in teargas.
"If [Darren Wilson] is not indicted I believe they will burn the city down," Thomas Bradley, who works at a barber shop on W Florissant, told the BBC early on Monday evening.
His words proved prophetic. The town of Ferguson had once again devolved into a rolling battle between police and looters, as calls for peace went unheeded.
Aleem Maqbool - @aleemmaqbool
Rajini Vaidyanathan - @rajiniv
David Botti - @bottidavid
Lynsea Garrison - @lynsea
Bahman Kalbasi - @bahmankalbasi
Franz Strasser - @franzstrasser


Organisers of a festival in Belfast have said they are "deeply sorry for any hurt or offence that has been caused" by the booking of a show by Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle.

Boyle is due to perform at the part-publicly funded Féile an Phobail next month.
An opposition group had said his jokes "mock children with disabilities".
Féile an Phobail said it would put in place measures "to avoid a situation like this arising in the future".
Opponents had demanded the show's cancellation because of jokes Boyle has told about people with Down's syndrome.
On Monday, Féile for All had a "frank and useful meeting" with the organisers, who said afterwards the gig was still happening.
On Wednesday evening, in a statement, Féile an Phobail said it had taken the criticism levelled at it "extremely seriously", and "appreciate that there has been a deep sense of hurt caused with the booking".
They said they "had in no way set out to come into conflict with any section of the community and are deeply sorry for any hurt or offence that has been caused".
"Féile an Phobail finds the mocking of the disabled totally unacceptable," the statement added.
"Going forward, a number of ideas were jointly posited by Féile and the Féile For All group, which included a range of effective measures that Féile would put in place to avoid a situation like this arising in the future.
"Other key ideas that came out of the meeting included; nominating a representative from an organisation representing the interests of people with a disability to sit on the Féile entertainments committee; Féile's continued outreach, dedication and support to disability groups - in terms of advocacy, funding, fundraising development, accessibility, participation and inclusive performance."
They said there was also an undertaking by Féile management to represent the concerns of the group to Boyle's management.
"Both parties are acutely aware of the difficulties that the event has created, and are committed to working together in future to ensure that Féile an Phobail remains fully inclusive and can be enjoyed in its fullest by all sections of the community," the statement added.
In its statement, the Féile for All group said it felt "real and deep hurt" by Boyle's comments and felt "that Féile, by extension were condoning the same, contrary to their ethos of inclusivity".
"Attacks on the disabled, either verbal or physical, will always be wrong," they said.
"While the gig will continue on this occasion, we remain firmly opposed to this act appearing at our festival.  "We believe, however, that we have run an extremely successful campaign."
They welcomed the new measures and said "they looked forward to working with Féile when planning future events".
Féile an Phobail, an annual community arts festival, has said the show is the fastest-selling comedy gig it has ever put on.
The opposition to the show has been based on remarks Boyle made during a live show in 2010.
The mother of a girl with the condition said he had "made fun of the way people with Down's syndrome speak" and "made a number of references to people with Down's syndrome dying early".


Welshman Jamie Donaldson shot a four-under-par 66 to sit one behind the leaders after the first round of the St Jude Classic at TPC Southwind.

The 40-year-old sank five birdies, including two in the final three holes.
That put him behind only American duo Shawn Stefani and Tom Hoge, and Korean Seung-yul Noh.
Miguel Angel Carballo, Brian Gay, Colt Knost, Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker matched Donaldson, with Retief Goosen among those a further shot back.
This is the final PGA Tour event before the US Open - the second major of the year - takes place at Oakmont next week.
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Patrick McBrearty says there is no sense of gloom in the Donegal squad despite the changing of the guard in the county as they prepare for Sunday's Football League opener against Kerry.

Colm McFadden, Rory Kavanagh, Eamon McGee and Christy Toye have been high profile retirements while several other players have stepped away for now.
"Ten or 11 young lads have come in and have been brilliant," says McBrearty.
"They will get experience and that will be great for Donegal football."
Those in the frame for league debuts against the Kingdom at Letterkenny include former Leitrim player Paul Brennan and his Bundoran club-mate Jamie Brennan.
Rory Gallagher could also pitch in St Michael's player Michael Langan and Cloughaneely's Jason McGee, who both featured for the county in the recent Dr McKenna Cup.
In addition to the 2012 All-Ireland heroes who walked off the inter-county stage after last summer's quarter-final defeat by Dublin, Gallagher also has to plan without Odhran MacNiallais, Leo McLoone and Anthony Thompson, after they opted out for this season.
Recuperation from injury also means that Karl Lacey, Martin McElhinney and Neil Gallagher will be absent for Sunday's game with Gweedore's Ciaran Gillespie also missing after picking up a hamstring injury in a recent challenge game.
McBrearty, himself, is only 23 but is preparing for his seventh senior inter-county season after making his debut as a minor in the Ulster Championship game against Antrim in 2011.
"A lot of the boys retired after being there for over 10 years but we can't dwell on that.
"The new boys are pushing the rest of us every night at training and there attitude is just brilliant."
With Donegal, by manager Gallagher's admission, having "done a lot an awful lot of work" over the last couple of months, McBrearty has scarcely had a break since the defeat by Dublin last August given that Kilcar reached the county final and his ongoing commitments with Martin McHugh's Ulster University side.
The Kilcar man admits his GAA workload is "tough to be honest" but in his next breath says "there is nothing really else I would want to do".
"In fairness to Jordanstown and Kilcar, they are fairly relaxed about the whole thing. You are doing a lot of training with Donegal so they (university and club) give you quite a bit of leeway.
"It is tough at times but is still enjoyable. I've become accustomed to it over the last seven years. I really don't know anything different to be honest.
"The body is feeling good and I've been very lucky with injuries compared to some of the other boys.
"We've had a lot of good days out with Donegal. As long as we keep being competitive at a top elite level, there's nothing else I really want to be at, to be honest."
So while McBrearty already has banked an All-Ireland medal and played on two Ulster title-winning teams, he appears determined to terrorise inter-county defences for some time to come.


It's not a new question, but it is one to which the BBC's prime time Saturday night offering The Voice has long been subjected: When is the show going to produce a superstar?

Its TV rival The X Factor can silence any critics by simply whispering the words One Direction.
The Voice happily shouts about Becky Hill, a semi-finalist from series one who had a number one with Oliver Heldens on the track Gecko (Overdrive).
But Hill is not quite in the same league as 1D - yet.
"It (The Voice) might not be churning out superstars to bridge the gap until the next series," explains one of the show's coaches, Ricky Wilson, "but I think that's a good thing.
"We're building careers, I think," he goes on, "we're not building flash in the pans" before hastily adding "that's not at the detriment of anyone else by the way".
Jermain Jackman, 19, won The Voice in 2014 and while he put out an EP last September, his first full album isn't released until March.
"It's that whole sense of working hard in silence and letting your success make the noise," Jackman explains.
He says he's been surprised at the amount of creative freedom he's been given on his debut, but is he prepared to be criticised if he doesn't get a number one with this first release?
"I don't like that," he admits.
"People can put a lot of pressure on you," Jackman adds, "but I'm not pressured, Amy Winehouse never had a number one but look how successful she was."
Jermain Jackman was mentored on the show by will.i.am and while the pair are still in touch, Jackman doesn't like to bother him too much.
"I'm a friend and a confidante," muses will.i.am about his role as a coach on The Voice.
He then smiles as he breaks into a chorus of the theme to 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, realising he has echoed its lyrics.
So does will.i.am think it's fair to measure the success of a TV talent show on hit singles it produces from its contestants?
"Whether or not you have a massive hit after the show, shucks," he shrugs.
"As artists we're worried about our hits too! Everybody is worried about a hit."
One issue The Voice has had to confront from the outset, is that despite the show's name and its wholesome intentions, creating successful acts has a lot to do with image and branding as well.
Coach Tom Jones says that has always been the case: "When I first came to London from Cardiff in 1964, they said curly hair doesn't work anymore," he explains, bemused.
"I said, 'Wait a minute you haven't heard me sing yet,' and they said, 'Yeah but the Beatles and the Stones, you know, you're not boyish enough,' even though I was the same age as John Lennon.
"So you're told because you don't look right for the time," Sir Tom concludes, "that you won't make it."
One Delilah and a Green, Green Grass of Home later and the question of his curly hair no doubt had become irrelevant.
Rita Ora is the newcomer to the coaching panel this year, replacing Kylie Minogue, who replaced Jessie J.
It wasn't a decision she took lightly.
"I had to speak to will (i.am) about it first," Ora says "because I didn't know if I wanted to take that pressure on and be responsible".
It means Ora could find herself responsible for mentoring this year's winner, who, with any luck, will be as philosophical about making it in the music industry as Jermain Jackman.
"These things take time and care," Jackman considers, "and I'm grateful to understand that, one step at a time."
The Voice series four starts on BBC1 at 19:00 on 10 January 2015.


An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a man who was found badly injured in a Glasgow street.

The 48-year-old victim, who has been named as Patrick Ferguson, died shortly after police were called to reports of a disturbance in Midcroft Avenue, Croftfoot, at 02:25 on Friday.
The teenager being detained is expected to appear in court on Monday.
Police Scotland said a report would be sent to the procurator fiscal.


Welsh Labour should have more freedom to develop a distinctive identity under its next leader, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.

He said a "confident, authentic Welsh Labour brand" has helped the party avoid a repeat of its fate in Scotland.
Mr Jones also said sniping between the rival camps in the leadership election was a "gift" to Labour's opponents.
The first minister has not publicly backed any candidate, but said Jeremy Corbyn would be "an unusual choice".
Writing on the New Statesman's website, Mr Jones said: "In the coming months and years we will want more freedom to develop our own Welsh Labour identity, and I look forward to hearing more from the leadership candidates about how they can support us in this."
He said Labour needed "the right structures to grow the party in an increasingly federal UK".
The first minister also appealed to the party to pull together, saying a description of Blairites as a "virus" was "totally unacceptable and has no place whatsoever in civilised political discourse".
The term was used by Dave Ward, boss of the Communication Workers Union, a supporter of left-winger Mr Corbyn, who will be campaigning in Wales next week.
Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are the other contenders to succeed Ed Miliband as Labour party leader.
The winner, chosen by a vote of party members, will be declared on September 12.


Sunderland Ladies have re-signed midfielder Lucy Staniforth from Liverpool and added defender Kylla Sjoman from Scottish side Celtic.

The pair have signed two-year deals with Carlton Fairweather's WSL 1 side.
Staniforth, 23, made her Lady Black Cats debut aged 16 and helped the club to the FA Womens' Premier League North title and 2009 Womens' FA Cup final.
Canada international Sjoman, 28, has played in America, Germany and England prior to her last move to Glasgow.
"They are two players with fantastic experience at the very top level of the game and will bring so much to our squad in terms of competition and quality," Fairweather told the club website.


Hibernian ended a run of four straight Scottish Championship defeats but could not force a win against St Mirren.

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Alan Stubbs' side took the lead when Jason Cummings struck midway through the first half.
Rocco Quinn fired in for the Buddies amid claims of offside from the visitors but the goal stood, leaving the sides level at the break.
Lawrence Shankland's shot turned the match in St Mirren's favour only for Farid El Alagui to level for Hibs.
The Easter Road side are now six points behind second-placed Falkirk and 20 off leaders Rangers.
However, Hibs have three games in hand over the Bairns and have played two games fewer than Rangers, who can clinch the title and promotion with one more win.
Stubbs' men started brightly in Paisley and Cummings latched on to John McGinn's threaded pass to palce an effort underneath Jamie Langfield.
Quinn found space in the penalty area and steered his effort home from close range, to the dismay of the Hibs defenders hoping for the flag to be raised.
Shankland drilled his effort low into the bottom corner to put the Buddies ahead for the first time and went close again soon after when he blasted over from the edge of the area.
Anthony Stokes tested Langfield before setting up El Alagui for the equaliser in the penultimate minute.


Leinster left it late to secure maximum points against Zebre and close the gap on Pro12 leaders Connacht to one point.

Luke McGrath and Dominic Ryan crossed the line in the first half as the Irish province led 12-3 at the interval.
Adam Byrne's try widened the gap after half-time but the hosts' efforts were rewarded with a Federico Ruzza try.
Dan Leavy went over late on to hand in-form Leinster their bonus point and make it 10 wins from their last 11 matches in the competition.
Leinster had scored eight tries in beating Zebre 52-0 two weeks earlier but the Italians proved to be a more resilient outfit on home soil.
McGrath touched down for an early try to get the visitors off to a flying start, then Ryan added the second.
A superb Byrne score widened the gap after half-time but Zebre enjoyed their fair share of possession and territory in the second half and Ruzza's try kept them in touch, before Leavy ensured a maximum five points for his side.
Leinster flew out of the blocks and they were on the board inside six minutes. Good work from the pack allowed McGrath to snipe down the blind side and score, though Isa Nacewa missed the extras.
The continued to threaten and Garry Ringrose away broke down the left touchline, before he was bundled into touch by a covering defender.
The second try did arrive, however, before the 20-minute mark when Peter Dooley showed sharp hands to send Ryan in under the posts and this time Nacewa converted.
Zebre began to find a foothold in the game and they were awarded a kickable penalty shortly before the half-hour, fly-half Ian McKinley pointing to the posts and getting the hosts on the board.
McGrath nearly got away for his second try a couple of minutes later but despite Leinster probing away for the rest of the half, they went into the break only nine points to the good.
Nacewa got the second half up and running with a penalty and five minutes later a super third try arrived, courtesy of Byrne.
Zane Kircher chipped through before the Leinster academy product hacked forward and dotted down his second try against Zebre in as many games, Nacewa with the extras.
As the muddy conditions worsened, Zebre gained more of a foothold and enjoyed a spell in the Leinster half and Kayle van Zyl made a break for the corner flag, only to be herded into touch a couple of metres short.
Their perseverance eventually paid off seven minutes from time when Ruzza followed a long series of phases with a pick-and-go under the posts, McKinley converting.
However, Leinster made their way up the other end in the dying moments and grabbed that coveted fourth try, Leavy emerging from the base of a powerful maul with ball in hand and a smile on his face.
Zebre: M Muliaina, G Toniolatti, T Boni, M Pratichetti, K Van Zyl, I McKinley, F Semenzato; J Meyer, F Ruzza, J Sarto, M Bortolami (capt), Q Geldenhuys, G Roan, O Fabiani, B Postiglioni.
Replacements: G Morelli, A De Marchi, P Ceccarelli, G Koegelenberg, E Caffini, L Burgess, M Azzolini, U Beyers.
Leinster: Z Kirchner, A Byrne, G Ringrose, B Te'o, I Nacewa (capt), C Marsh, L McGrath, P Dooley, J Tracy, T Furlong, R Molony, M Kearney, D Ryan, D Leavy, J Conan.
Replacements: S Cronin, J Loughman, M Bent, H Triggs, J Murphy, N McCarthy, N Reid, C Kelleher.


Two men have been arrested after a policewoman was killed in a crash involving a stolen car in Londonderry.

PSNI Constable Philippa Reynolds, 27, died in the collision on the Limavady Road at 03:40 GMT on Saturday.
Constable Reynolds was on a routine patrol in an unmarked police car. It is believed a stolen silver 4X4 vehicle drove through a red light before hitting the police car.
Her commanding officer Stephen Cargin said her colleagues were "devastated".
Constable Reynolds, from the greater Belfast area, was a back seat passenger in the police car.
The PSNI believe she was killed instantly by the impact of the stolen vehicle.
Two officers who were also in the police vehicle were both hurt but were not seriously injured.
Constable Reynolds was a former teacher who had joined the PSNI two years ago.
Police investigating the crash arrested two men, aged 23 and 25, in the Derry area at about lunchtime on Saturday.
The Police Ombudsman has been informed of the incident.
The PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, paid tribute to the officer and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
"It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of our colleague. This is a personal tragedy for her family and also for the whole Police Service," he said in a statement.
"She was out on duty, working to keep people safe, when she died. My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time."
Mr Baggott added: "I and my colleagues will ensure that no stone remains unturned as we work to bring to justice those who perpetrated this crime".
PSNI district commander Stephen Cargin said Constable Reynolds was "in the prime of her life, beautiful, friendly".
"(She was) one of the most enthusiastic officers, just a really bubbly personality, somebody who wanted to be a police officer," he said.
"Her colleagues are devastated, as I am as her commander, as we are as a police service, but she just typifies her colleagues  - out there doing a good job."
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers said it was a "tragic waste of a young life in sad and reckless circumstances".
Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers also expressed sympathy.
In a statement, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said:  "Officers in the PSNI put their lives at risk on a daily basis to serve and protect our community and we are all truly grateful for their dedicated service.
"Those who commit a crime such as vehicle theft must realise their actions can have serious consequences."
Justice Minister David Ford  said his thoughts and prayers were with the woman's family.
"I also send my best wishes to the two officers injured in this incident for a speedy and full recovery," he said.
"It is hard to imagine how they, and indeed the wider PSNI family, are feeling."
Chairman of Northern Ireland's Policing Board, Brian Rea, said he was shocked by the incident.
"To lose a colleague, out on patrol protecting the community, is a terrible blow to the PSNI," he said.
SDLP MP Mark Durkan said the policewoman had been "tragically killed in the line of duty whilst doing her job to protect the community".
"The shock felt across the community will be matched with disgust that such criminal activity has led to this tragic death, and I call on those responsible, or anyone who has any information, to come forward to the PSNI," Mr Durkan said.
Ulster Unionist Ross Hussey said: "This young woman's death in the line of duty serves to re-emphasise the dangers faced by the officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on a daily basis, as they put themselves in harm's way to protect the whole community."
The Republic of Ireland's most senior police officer, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, also expressed his condolences.
"Our thoughts and sympathies are with our friends in Northern Ireland as they mourn the loss of their colleague," he said.
"We also wish a speedy recovery to the officers injured in the incident."
The police have asked witnesses to contact them.
Ch Supt Cargin said: "I would like to appeal to anyone who has information and may have seen the silver land cruiser travelling between the Gobnascale and Limavady Road areas between 03:00 GMT and 03.30 GMT, or if they saw the two people who fled the scene and ran off towards the Ebrington area.
"Anyone with any information, no matter how small, please call us. These were officers who were out serving their community and we want the community to help us and give us the vital information we need."


Wolfgang Niersbach, the former president of the German FA (DFB), has been banned from all football-related activity for one year.

A Fifa ethics committee found the 65-year-old failed to report possible misconduct concerning the awarding of the 2006 World Cup. Investigators had sought a two-year ban.
Germany beat South Africa 12-11 in the vote, which took place in July 2000.
Niersbach resigned from his DFB role in November last year.
He quit - citing "political responsibility" - amid allegations a £4.9m payment to Fifa was used to buy votes for Germany's successful World Cup bid.
That payment resulted in German authorities opening a tax evasion investigation, but Niersbach - who is also a Fifa executive committee member - said at the time he had always worked "cleanly".
In a statement, the Fifa panel said it had not looked into possible breaches of its code of ethics "in relation to possible acts of bribery and/or corruption", and had "only evaluated Mr Niersbach's awareness of the said incidents".
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A former chaplain of a Roman Catholic care home who sexually abused 11 boys has failed in his bid to appeal against his 15-year jail sentence.

Anthony McCallen was jailed in January for abusing the boys at the now defunct St William's Children's Home near Market Weighton between 1970 and 1991.
The Court of Appeal refused his application for leave to appeal against the sentence.
McCallen claimed his jail term was too harsh and had applied for it to be cut.
The ex-chaplain, formerly of Whernside Crescent in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees, was convicted in December of 11 charges including a serious sexual offence, but was acquitted of eight others after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.
His co-defendant James Carragher, of Cearns Road, Merseyside, was jailed for nine years after he was found guilty of 21 indecent assaults and three serious sex offences. He was cleared of a further 30 charges.


Ravi Bopara and James Foster both completed centuries in a sixth-wicket stand of 229 as Essex amassed a season's best total before declaring against Warwickshire.

Bopara made 192, his third-highest first-class score, and his first century in three years, as Essex finally called a halt on 541-9.
Foster survived being hit on the helmet by Boyd Rankin to reach 121.
Bopara then ran out Andy Umeed as the Bears reached 60-2 by the close.
Ian Westwood followed for 22 to leave the Bears still needing a further 232 runs to avoid the risk of being asked to follow-on.
Resuming on their overnight 263-5, Bopara and Foster were together from late in Monday's third session until just before the tea interval on day two.
Foster, making only his third County Championship appearance of the season, had to receive medical attention after being struck on the front of his helmet grille by a Rankin bouncer.
But, when within 24 of Essex's sixth-wicket record set six years ago on the same ground against Northants in partnership with Adam Wheater, he smashed a towering six over long leg off Sunny Singh before giving a catch to a tumbling Keith Barker at wide mid-on off Jonathan Trott.
It was slow going once again in the still sweltering conditions, as Essex claimed their third batting point with only an over to spare, leaving the Bears with just one bowling point.
Essex wicketkeeper James Foster told BBC Radio Essex:
"I wasn't really expecting to play any cricket this year. It was obviously disappointing not to start the season, but I've been busy helping out the club with the team's preparations on the coaching side without just rotting away, so to speak.
"They know I've been practising and playing second-team cricket and working hard. I've tried to be of use and of help. I got an opportunity to play, with Wheats (Adam Wheater) getting injured in the four-day stuff and I'm literally just trying to enjoy maybe one last cough.
"It was probably quite an important part of the game when we got together. On that first day they kept us down to 2.6 an over, so it was important to stick it out.
"Everyone is thrilled for Ravi. He's deserved it. He's worked as hard as anyone. Even now he probably works as hard as he did in his early twenties."
Warwickshire first-team coach Jim Troughton told BBC WM:
"It was a really hot day and everyone stuck together in the field and put in a shift. To walk off without any kind of result was disappointing. One more wicket would have been very nice. But they batted well and that's what happens.
"Jimmy Adams and Sean Ervine did that to us at Southampton. The pleasing thing for me is we're not 50-6, with tired legs and tired minds at the end of what has been a long 160 overs.
"We looked very comfortable at 30-odd for no wicket and then we had that run-out between the two of them. But these things we've got to learn fast. He's not going to get many runs if he keeps getting run out.
"It looks as if Harmer is going to get some turn. He did to the left-handers. We've just to make sure we play him well. We'll look to get ourselves prepared in the nets and whatever they've got to throw at us."


Northampton Saints flanker Calum Clark will be out for at least two months after having shoulder surgery.

The 26-year-old, whose sole England cap came in a World Cup warm-up against France in August, has not played since suffering the injury in a pre-season match against Wasps in October.
"We were hoping he'd recover from his injury," Saints coach Jim Mallinder told BBC Radio Northampton.
He also said Courtney Lawes and Alex Corbisiero could return in a few weeks.


Nico Rosberg out-paced Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes dominated practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The German was fastest in both sessions on Friday, ending the qualifying simulations in the evening 0.241secs quicker than the world champion.
Jenson Button was an encouraging third fastest for McLaren-Honda, ahead of Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel were fifth and sixth, well over a second down on Mercedes.
Digital coverage and audio commentary of Sunday's race is live on the Sport website.
Vettel was 0.218secs off Raikkonen and 1.6secs behind Rosberg after admitting he "messed up" his best lap with a number of errors.
There was not much evidence that Ferrari might be able to take the fight to Mercedes this weekend, with the Italian cars lagging some way behind the silver ones for the vast majority of the day.
Vettel did start his race-simulation run on the 'soft' tyres promisingly, lapping at a pace close to Mercedes for the first time all day.
But before a full picture emerged of the two cars' comparative pace the Ferrari ground to a halt out on track with 15 minutes of the session remaining.
Vettel told the team over the radio that the rear left wheel was not properly attached to the car.
After getting out of the car, he added that the team were not yet sure what had happened.
"I felt out of Turn Four I lost drive, so I decided to stop. We don't want to damage or risk the car at that point.
"Mercedes are the benchmark. They are the ones to beat but hopefully we can be a bit closer. The car feels all right and there are bits and bobs we can improve."
Mercedes believe they have evidence that Ferrari are protecting a fragility in their engine by restricting as much as possible the amount of time they run it at full power.
At Mercedes, Rosberg, who won the first race ahead of his team-mate, had an edge over Hamilton all day, with the Briton unable to match his team-mate's pace on one lap. Hamilton did look competitive on his race-simulation run, however.
Hamilton said he was struggling to find balance and lost 0.1secs because of traffic on his quickest lap, so the gap to Rosberg was more like half of what it appeared but that it would be hard to make up that time because it is one of Rosberg's strongest circuits and not one of his.
Despite his apparent struggles, Hamilton said it had been "a good Friday overall", adding: "The car is performing really well here. There were no surprises or issues to report throughout both practice sessions, which is always a good sign.
"There's some work to do tonight in terms of finding a few improvements from the car and also my driving style. I'm looking forward to getting back out there and making some more progress tomorrow."
Shortly after Vettel's car stopped, there was further drama as Romain Grosjean's Haas appeared to suffer a front nose failure.
Button's position in third place is unlikely to be repeated in qualifying on Saturday, but it was further evidence that McLaren and Honda are making significant progress after a difficult 2015.
Button's long-run pace was also relatively encouraging as the team prepared for the race.
The Englishman is being partnered by McLaren's reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne this weekend after Fernando Alonso was ruled out by FIA doctors as a result of chest injuries sustained in his 180mph barrel-roll accident in Australia two weeks ago.
The Belgian, who flew into Bahrain overnight from Japan and had not driven this year's McLaren car until the start of first practice, ended the session in 11th place, 0.7secs behind Button.
Red Bull and Williams completed the top 10 in alternating positions with Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat seventh fastest, ahead of Williams' Valtteri Bottas, then Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa.
Meanwhile, Renault driver Kevin Magnussen, who was 16th fastest, will have to start the race from the pit lane after being penalised for missing a call to have his car weighed during the second session
Bahrain GP first practice results
Bahrain GP coverage details
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Grown children in China must visit their parents or potentially face fines or jail, a new law that came into effect on Monday says.

China's new "Elderly Rights Law" deals with the growing problem of lonely elderly people by ordering adult children to visit their ageing parents.
The law says adults should care about their parents "spiritual needs" and "never neglect or snub elderly people".
The regulation has been ridiculed by tens of thousands of Chinese web users.
Many across China are questioning how the law could be enforced, since it fails to spell out a detailed schedule dictating the frequency with which children should make parental house calls.
"Those who live far away from parents should go home often," it says.
However, that does not mean the law is toothless.
Instead, it serves as an "educational message" to the public, while also serving as a starting point for law suits, explained Zhang Yan Feng, a lawyer with Beijing's King & Capital Law Firm.
"It's hard to put this law into practice, but not impossible," Mr Zhang explained.
"If a case is brought to court on the basis of this law, I think it'll probably end up in a peaceful settlement. But if no settlement is reached, technically speaking, court rulings can force the person to visit home certain times a month."
"If this person disobeys court rulings, he could be fined or detained."
But few in China seem to fear they will end up behind bars if they fail to log visits home.
"Who doesn't want to visit home often? What is considered "often"? Who will oversee the process?" complained one poster on weibo, China's version of Twitter.
"We all know to cherish our elderly parents, but sometimes we are just too busy trying to make a living and the pressure is too much."
"It's fine that no-one is paying for us to visit our parents, but is there someone who can give us time off to do it?" asked another.
The question of how to deal with ageing parents is a mounting problem in China.
According to Chinese government statistics, more than 178 million people in China were 60 years or older in 2010. By 2030, that figure will double.
As China's population goes grey, the Chinese media fills with stories of neglected old people.
Many were shocked by the story of a 91-year-old grandmother who was beaten and forced out of her home in China's southern Jiangsu province after she asked her daughter-in-law for a bowl of rice porridge.
Two days later, internet forums were filled with a similar story of farmers in the same province who allowed their family's 100-year-old matriarch to sleep in a pig sty, sharing close quarters with a pungent pig.
But those stories have not lead most people to support the new Elderly Rights Law.
"Family bonds should be based on spontaneous emotions," argued one weibo user.
"It's funny to make it part of a law; it's like requiring couples to have a harmonious sex life after marriage."