Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Alex Sobel

Thursday 29th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Alex Sobel (Leeds North West) (Lab/Co-op)]

T2. Have the Government made any assessment of whether local councils are meeting their duties under the Equality Act 2010, by keeping pavements clear of obstructions and safe for disabled people to walk?

[Amber Rudd]

It is essential that disabled people can go about their daily lives. Particularly as we move towards the local elections, it is important that they can get out, so that we can ensure that everybody participates in voting. On the hon. Gentleman’s specific question, I will find out from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government whether it has made any such assessment.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Alex Sobel

Thursday 22nd February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

The hon. Gentleman asks an important question. We have put in place ground-breaking legislation to ensure that we close the gender pay gap. The Equality and Human Rights Commission will oversee any sorts of sanctions that are necessary. I hope that it will be its intention, as it is ours, to use persuasion and demonstration of the law to get participation, but of course it can use the full force of the law if it finds that the legislation is not being complied with.

[Alex Sobel]

What measures are the Government undertaking to work with private sector business, civil society and others to close the gender pay gap?

[Amber Rudd]

It is incredibly important that we do address closing the gender pay gap. Transparency is one of the key ways that we will achieve that. Having this compulsion of reporting on gender pay is an important first step, but we will take it further. We will engage with businesses to see what measures they will be putting in place to address the gender pay gap. My experience, when I talk to businesses about this, is that when they realise that they have such a gender pay gap—to some, it is a revelation—they are moving to put in training and other measures to address it.