Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of the gender pay gap.

On 3rd November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published new earnings figures from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). These include figures for the UK’s gender pay gap (GPG) and are the most recent assessment of trends available. The overall GPG has decreased to 15.5% from 17.4%. This is the lowest recorded measurement since the survey began in 1997 and is the largest decrease in GPG since 2011. The GPG for full-time employees has decreased to 7.4% from 9.0% and the GPG for part-time employees has decreased to -2.9% from -3.5%. The part-time GPG is already in favour of women, and so this also represents a closing of the gap as it is now closer to 0%.