Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Gloria De Piero Excerpts
Thursday 12th December 2013

(10 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Maria Miller Portrait Maria Miller
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My hon. Friend is right that, rather than introducing yet more legislation, the Government have been ensuring that we modernise the workplace and that in doing so we modernise the culture around flexible working in particular. It is a shame that the Labour party in government was unable to put in place flexible working. We have set great store by flexible working for all, and ensuring that everybody, regardless of their care responsibilities, has that option available to them.

Gloria De Piero Portrait Gloria De Piero (Ashfield) (Lab)
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Under Labour the gender pay gap fell. This morning’s official figures show that it is now on the increase. What are the Government going to do about it?

Maria Miller Portrait Maria Miller
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The hon. Lady will know that under this Government more women are in work than ever before, that the figures show that salaries are rising, and that we are tackling the long-term issue of the gender pay gap by changing the culture in business. Her party failed to do that by not ensuring that flexible working was available for all. We are making sure that a workplace that was designed by men for men is now designed to accommodate women too.