Oral Answers to Questions

Paul Sweeney Excerpts

Thursday 22nd February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

13. How many and what proportion of employers within the scope of the gender pay gap regulations have published gender pay gap data.

[Mr Paul Sweeney (Glasgow North East) (Lab/Co-op)]

15. How many and what proportion of employers within the scope of the gender pay gap regulations have published gender pay gap data.

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber Rudd)]

So far, more than 7,500 employers have registered their intention to report, and around 1,000 have published their data. The most recent data published by employers are publicly available via the Government viewing service on the gov.uk website. There is still more than a month until the public and private sector deadlines, and we expect reporting activity to increase significantly in the run-up to those dates.

--- Later in debate ---

[Amber Rudd]

I urge all universities to address reporting their gender pay gap. It is the law; they need to do so. I will say a word on the other matter, if I may. It is important that this dispute between students, effectively, the universities and their staff is resolved, because people need to get their degrees. I would urge the striking lecturers to get back to work.

[Mr Sweeney]

So far, only 1,000 out of 9,000 companies that are obliged to publish gender pay gap data have done so. What are the Government going to do to up that figure and ensure that companies are meeting their obligations to publish this vital data, so that we have the full picture?