Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to reduce the gender pay gap.

Tackling the gender pay gap is an absolute priority for this Government. We will lay regulations requiring large employers to publish the difference between the average earnings of their male and female employees at the earliest opportunity. Our consultation on how gender pay gap reporting will be extended to public sector organisations closed on 30 September and we are currently analysing responses.

We are making sure that women are given the opportunity to progress from the classroom to the boardroom. As well as encouraging girls to consider a range of careers through the ‘Your Life’ campaign, we have extended the right to request flexible working to all employees; introduced a new system of flexible parental leave; and committed to providing 30 hours of free childcare a week for working families. Nearly two-thirds of the people benefitting from the National Living Wage are women.