Equality: Break Down Barriers to Opportunity Mission
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Nye
Baroness Nye
To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote equality as part of their Break Down Barriers to Opportunity mission.
Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)
My Lords, our mission is to break the link between background and success, creating a Britain where ambition has no limits and opportunity is fair for all. That is why the recent Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper sets our ambition to raise standards for all children and to halve the disadvantaged attainment gap between poorer children and their peers at the end of secondary school, ensuring that where you come from does not determine where you are headed.
Baroness Nye (Lab)
I thank the Minister for her reply. Research shows that early years inequalities account for almost half of the disadvantage gap by the age of five, and that although the UK has historically high levels of employment overall, the Government have inherited nearly 1 million young people who are not in education, employment or training. Can the Minister say what cross-departmental strategy the Government are pursuing to ensure that children receive sustained support throughout childhood and adolescence, so that none risks falling through the gap at any stage?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
As my noble friend rightly said, the routes to success in adulthood start early in life. For this reason, we are working with the Department of Health, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, DCMS and the Treasury to deliver our ambitious agenda to give every child the best start in life, to enable an inclusive school experience, and to help young people develop their skills and talents. Our best start in life strategy and the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper set out how we are delivering on early years and post-16 commitments.
International Women’s Day
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Nye
Baroness Nye
To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March.
Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)
On International Women’s Day, and in fact on every day of the year, this Government are accelerating action under our Plan for Change to put more money in the pockets of working women and create more opportunity in the workplace and to ensure that women are safe on our streets and in their communities. We will be calling on employers to take action to help tackle the barriers that still prevent too many women from succeeding in the workplace. All government departments have a key role to play in delivering our key mission for equality.
Baroness Nye (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for that Answer. The House will know that it is now 50 years since the Equal Pay Act was implemented, but recent figures from the PwC index of OECD countries show that the UK has the lowest ranking for a decade and on that trend it will take another 50 years to achieve equality. Does the Minister agree that one of the most important ways to promote economic growth is to accelerate action to close the gender pay gap?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for all the work that she has done in this area over many years. This Government are committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. We will make the right to equal pay effective by putting in place measures to ensure that outsourcing of services can no longer be used by employers to avoid paying equal pay, and we will implement a regulatory and enforcement unit for equal pay. My noble friend is right about the importance of closing the gender pay gap, which is why, as part of the Employment Rights Bill, we are taking the first steps towards requiring large employers to produce action plans covering steps they are taking on the gender pay gap and menopause support.