Oral Answers to Questions

Shailesh Vara Excerpts

Tuesday 24th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mel Stride]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about the critical importance of small and medium-sized enterprises. We have more than 5 million small businesses in our country, and they are right at the heart of generating the wealth that generates the taxes that support the public services we all wish to see thriving. I have already explained that we are working closely with the Office of Tax Simplification to make sure that, wherever possible, the Government get out of the way of business, rather than standing in its way.

[Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)]

6. What progress he has made on closing the gender pay gap in the public sector.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)]

The gender pay gap in the public sector is 18.3%, which is a record low, and this compares to 24.5% in the private sector.

[Mr Vara]

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for those comments. Will she explain how the new duty introduced by this Government, requiring public sector bodies to publish the differences between male and female pay, will support the trend of an ever-reducing gender pay gap, which is at a record low?

[Elizabeth Truss]

The new duty we have introduced will mean more transparency, so we will be able to find out where the particular issues are in the public sector. Are there, for example, occupations such as engineering that are well paid and that women are less likely to go into, and what can we do to encourage women to apply for roles in them?