Women and Men: Pay Gap
Lord Trefgarne Excerpts(1 year, 8 months ago)
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Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)
Interestingly enough, we have launched an online tool, hosted by GOV.UK, to make it easier for parents to check if they are eligible for shared parental leave, plan their leave, and give the required notice and information to their employer. The number of couples taking up shared parental leave and pay is increasing year on year; last year it was at 13,000. We are also looking at what more we can do to make it easier for fathers to take paternity leave, to challenge the entrenched assumption that caring is the sole responsibility of the mother.
Lord Trefgarne (Con)
My Lords, am I not right in thinking that the Royal Air Force has recently authorised women to fly fast jet aircraft on operations for the first time ever? If I am right and that is the case, can the Minister confirm that they are paid the same salary?
Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)
I am sorry; I cannot confirm that they are paid the same salary, but it is a jolly good job if they are doing the same as the men.
Capital Projects: Spending Decisions
Lord Trefgarne Excerpts(1 year, 8 months ago)
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Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)
My Lords, if you look at the missions in the levelling-up Bill, you can see that all those things are important. It is up to local authorities, though, together with the private sector and the voluntary sector, to put forward their ideas in their places, as to how they feel that they can deliver those improvements, such as economic investment in their area. It is up to local authorities—but I agree with the noble Lord that there are many more things that we can do in order to encourage, in those particular areas, a true economic development.
Lord Trefgarne (Con)
My Lords, can the Minister offer any advice to Woking Borough Council, where I live, which is more than £1 billion adrift?
Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)
I am very sorry to say to my noble friend that no, I cannot. I am sure that there are people within the department who will be working with that borough council in order to help it through its difficulties.
Homelessness
Lord Trefgarne Excerpts(4 years, 9 months ago)
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Viscount Younger of Leckie
I hope I have set out to the House the actions that we are taking. There are a variety of reasons why people sleep rough. We know what they are and we need to address them one by one; there is no one simple solution to this. For example, some people become homeless as a result of friends or family no longer being willing or able to accommodate them. There are domestic rows and the termination of assured short-term tenancies. There are lots of reasons, but the main point is that action is being taken to address all these complex problems.
Lord Trefgarne (Con)
My Lords, can my noble friend comment on the number of ex-service personnel who now find themselves homeless, whose numbers are thought to be particularly troubling?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I do not have the figures for ex-service personnel but I know that there are some. I will write to my noble friend with the figures, if we have them.