Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Wednesday, 8 March 2006.

Women and Work Commission

Question: My Lords, the report had plenty of recommendations encouraging women to go into jobs that they might not otherwise have thought of, but it did not have many recommendations about how to help women to get to the absolute top in the professions that they chose. Does the Minister share my regret that the commission did not recommend equal pay audits in the private sector as well as in the public sector? Does she agree that such transparency in all businesses would let us see where equality is really working and where it is just being paid lip-service?

Answer: My Lords, I absolutely understand the importance of the noble Baroness’s question. She will know that the commission was not unified in its view on how best to progress this. The Government understand why, because of course we have to work together energetically with the private sector to make sure that the gap is narrowed. If we are successful, as I believe that we will be, in demonstrating to the private sector the wonderful contribution that women make in the workplace, using the public sector as an example, it would be a very foolish private sector employer that did not avail itself of the excellent and extraordinary talents that women bring to the workplace.

Secondary information