Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pay Inequalities

Wednesday 25 October 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister discussed recent steps taken by the Government to address pay inequalities.
  • The Government plans to publish new guidance in April to help employers tackle pay disparities.
  • The Minister defended the Government's approach, stating they are not stalling on a pilot measure for salary history inquiries.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stuart McDonald SNP
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is concerned about existing discussions on tackling pay disparities and seeks to understand recent Cabinet conversations.

Question

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on tackling pay inequalities in the labour market. The MP wants to know how the government plans to address these issues.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

Owing to my joint roles—I am also Secretary of State for Business and Trade—I have a unique understanding of unjust pay disparities, and I am proud of the steps that this Government have taken to tackle them. We will publish new guidance in April to help employers measure, report on and address unfair ethnicity pay differences.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked specifically about discussions with Cabinet colleagues, but the answer focused on upcoming guidance instead of discussing recent meetings or decisions made by Cabinet.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Stuart McDonald SNP
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The MP refers to US states implementing policies that ban employers from asking about salary histories, which has helped reduce pay inequalities. The MP inquires why similar measures are not being pursued.

Question

Nineteen US states have banned employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history. This has had a massive impact on tackling unequal pay for women and black workers. Having talked about piloting a similar measure, why have the Government appeared to stall?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

We are not stalling. Our pilot will support employers to take steps towards transparency in their own organisations, to see the impact for themselves. We know that this is not straightforward, which is why we will ensure that employers looking to implement greater transparency in their recruitment processes are able to access best practice and learn from each other.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP questioned why there has been a delay in implementing the pilot scheme. The answer did not directly address this issue but rather defended the government's approach without acknowledging any delays or stalling.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Kirsten Oswald SNP
Women & Equalities
Context

The UK Government has published guidance on measuring the ethnicity pay gap but does not plan to mandate such reporting. The MP asks whether the Government will legislate or devolve employment law.

Question

Despite acknowledging the value of measuring the ethnicity pay gap, the UK Government will not legislate for mandatory reporting. Since employment law is a reserved matter, will the Minister urge her Government to do the right thing and mandate ethnicity pay gap reporting, or urge the devolution of employment law to Scotland?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

Absolutely not. This is something that we will not be devolving and it absolutely should not be mandatory. Ethnicity pay gaps cannot be measured in the same way as gender pay gaps. We have published guidance for those employers who want to do this, but it would be absolutely wrong to mandate.

Not addressed: The MP asked about legislative action or devolution of powers. The answer did not address these points but instead reiterated the government's position against mandatory reporting and devolution.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email