Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Kate Green Excerpts
Monday 6th November 2017

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Anne Milton Portrait Anne Milton
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We are looking at a number of measures. As the hon. Lady rightly says, clarity is very important. The long-awaited and eagerly anticipated careers strategy will set out some work on this, but a lot of other work is going on. We have to make sure that apprenticeships are easy to apply for and that it is easy to see exactly what they will give apprentices at the end of their apprenticeships.

Kate Green Portrait Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)
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The Young Women’s Trust points to a gender pay gap of 8% between women and men apprentices. What are the Government doing to close the gap?

Anne Milton Portrait Anne Milton
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I will not miss an opportunity to remind businesses that they have until April next year to report their gender pay gaps. [Interruption.] That includes unions and Departments. I am pleased that apprenticeship starts for women have gone up, but I recognise there are issues around pay. The bottom line is that we want to ensure access for all young women in particular, but older women, too, many of whom are taking up apprenticeships as a way of returning to the workplace.