Women’s Contribution to the Economy

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Sheila Gilmore

Thursday 6th March 2014 Westminster Hall

[Mrs Spelman]

Testosterone is far too racy a subject to start talking about mid-afternoon on a Thursday. Actually, my hon. Friend makes a good point. I applaud moves such as the one by the chief executive of Barclays, who is introducing quotas for women within his company, so that women get a really good opportunity to be represented in the higher-paid echelons of the banking business. I wish that we saw more of that.

[Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab)]

I apologise in advance for having to depart; I hope to come back later, but I am on a Public Bill Committee and I think that my turn to speak will come quite shortly. One thing that various investigations of professional groups—even, for example, people teaching in universities—show is that at younger ages men and women are often quite equally paid; they seem to be on the same sort of earnings levels. However, there is a disparity later, which is closely related to family responsibilities.

[Mrs Spelman]

Absolutely. The hon. Lady makes a good point and she shows perfect timing. I have a lot of material for today’s debate, and I may not use it all, but I want to come on to the issue of the costs of child care, because it is a significant factor and it affects women’s earning potential. If they have to take a career break, it eventually has a negative impact on their earnings during their career.

The ONS report from last year showed that the age of children and the relationship status of the mother are important factors in determining the likelihood of mothers being able to go to work. Only 39% of single mothers whose youngest child is aged three or below are in work, compared with a figure of 65% for those mothers who are in a couple. That situation changes later on, with 61% of single mothers who have a youngest child of primary school age in work, because it becomes possible for the lone parent to get back into the workplace.

The cost of child care is a real challenge. There was a report only this week that showed that child care costs more than the average mortgage, which should concern us all. However, the Government have taken significant steps to try to help women with the cost of child care: introducing shared parental leave from April 2015; funding 15 hours a week of free child care for all three and four-year-olds, which will save families approximately £380 a year per child; funding 15 hours a week of free child care for disadvantaged two-year-olds, which will save the most disadvantaged families more than £2,400 a year per child; introducing tax-free child care for lone parents in work, and for families with two working parents who each earn less than £150,000; and increasing child tax credit to £3,625 a year. These are all steps in the right direction, but for a lot of women, the cost of child care remains a significant deterrent to being active in the economy.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Sheila Gilmore

Thursday 5th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Spelman]

We have cut administrative spend by £140 million since May 2010, which is an 11% reduction in cash terms.

[Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab)]

T7. I was interested to hear the Secretary of State say last weekend that people should heed the flood warnings. If she had been in the north-east on Thursday, she would have known that there were none. However, there is apparently an underspend in Departments. Has the Secretary of State made a bid to the Chancellor for additional money for flood defences?

[Mrs Spelman]

I should underline the importance of this matter. Tragically, a gentleman in my part of the country, the west midlands, lost his life when he stepped into fast-flowing floodwaters. It is important, therefore, to reinforce the point to all our constituents not to walk or drive into floodwaters. We have secured £2.17 billion to spend on flood defences. I remind the hon. Lady that her party said it would cut capital by 50%.

Bovine TB

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Sheila Gilmore

Wednesday 14th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Spelman]

Sadly, there is no satisfactory test for TB in camelids, which includes alpacas, and that is a source of considerable concern. We will continue to work on that. Alpacas are included in our programme of trying to manage and control this disease.

[Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab)]

No one is suggesting that bovine TB is not a problem. However, why does the Secretary of State believe that what she proposes will work given the scientific conclusions of a 10-year pilot by the previous Government?

[Mrs Spelman]

When a programme of badger control was part of the original randomised badger culling trial, the science showed a clear reduction within the controlled area, and an impact on the edge of the area. We have proposed to build on that science base and grant licences to areas with more firmly controlled boundaries to reduce the perturbation effect. It is indisputable that the original trial saw, on average, a 16% reduction in the incidence of TB in cattle herds.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Sheila Gilmore

Thursday 24th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab)]

3. What recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the introduction of mandatory reporting of carbon emissions by businesses.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

I have had recent discussions with ministerial colleagues on the issue and I know that there is a lot of interest in it. There is an appetite in Government for it but, as the House will be aware, any policy has to undergo an impact assessment, which we are in the process of clearing.

[Sheila Gilmore]

There are only four months until the Government are obliged either to introduce carbon reporting or to explain why they have not. When the Members who previously sat on the Opposition Front Bench supported the proposal, they said that it would help economic growth. Why, in the present economic crisis, is it not being pursued more vigorously?

[Mrs Spelman]

Two things have emerged. We had more than 2,000 replies to the consultation, which showed that carbon is reported in very different ways. One challenge is to find a way in which it can be reported meaningfully so that investors know which company to invest in, because they understand the information they receive. Secondly, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is consulting on the content of company accounts—narrative reporting, as it is known. We need to synchronise the issue because carbon reporting would be in a set of company accounts. I perfectly understand the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008 in that regard.

Forestry (England)

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Sheila Gilmore

Thursday 17th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Spelman]

I can give the hon. Gentleman that assurance. In the normal sequence of events, the independent panel would give advice to Ministers, and if Ministers judged it to be correct we would then proceed with a consultation White Paper, which might give rise to legislation if changes in the law were required to provide the extra protection.

[Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab)]

I genuinely welcome the Government’s response. One of the plagues of politics is that it can sometimes be very difficult to back down and admit that something was wrong. I urge the Secretary of State, having reprieved vulnerable trees, to urge some of her colleagues to reprieve vulnerable people who will be subject to benefit cuts.

[Mrs Spelman]

I thank the hon. Lady for the good spirit with which she received my statement to the House, but I am sure that she will understand that the protection of vulnerable people in other regards is outwith my Department’s responsibilities.