Oral Answers to Questions

Marsha De Cordova Excerpts

Thursday 7th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Trade Policy (Greg Hands)]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is a leading member of the British-Switzerland APPG, for his interest. Both the Secretary of State and I met the Swiss Trade Minister in Abu Dhabi last week. The trade talks are progressing well. We are seeking high-ambition outcomes in all areas, including services and investment, mobility, digital, and the environment, which are not covered by our existing FTA. In short, there are a large number of high-priority areas for us, building on the agreement that we did on financial services in Bern at the end of last year, to ensure that this UK-Switzerland FTA really takes forward the bilateral trade relationship. The fourth round of negotiations is taking place in Bern this week.

[Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)]

T3. We know the impact that mandatory pay gap reporting can have on tackling low pay and in-work poverty, but little progress is being made on tackling the disability pay gap, which is higher now than it was a decade ago, with disabled people earning on average £3,400 less—effectively working for 47 days for free. When will the Government introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting, and what steps is the Secretary of State taking to close the gap?

[Kemi Badenoch]

The hon. Lady raises a significant issue around ensuring that disabled people are able to access employment and are paid properly. We have no plans to introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting—no plans to introduce disability pay gap reporting at all. Unlike gender pay gap reporting, which is very simple, binary and easy to execute, disability pay gap reporting, like ethnicity pay gap reporting, is very complex. There are a range of disabilities that could not be easily monitored, so I would like to work with her on other areas where we can help to improve the lives of disabled people at work. We do not believe that disability pay gap reporting is the answer.