Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Lord Howarth of Newport Excerpts

Tuesday 17th June 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Howarth of Newport (Lab)]

Does the noble Baroness regret that the coalition’s austerity measures have been disproportionately damaging to the employment and incomes of women?

[Baroness Northover]

There are, in fact, record numbers of women in employment; the figure has now reached 67.9%, the highest point it has ever reached in the United Kingdom. I therefore dispute what the noble Lord says, and point out, for example, that raising the tax threshold disproportionately affected women, because they tended to be in poorer-paying occupations. We are doing our best to ensure that there is equality in the economy, so that women are employed at all levels in the same way as men.