Written question asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Andrews (Labour) on Thursday, 21 May 2009.

Equal Pay

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government in light of the report in the Financial Times of 5 May, whether there is a gender pay gap in the Fire Service College; if so, what is the percentage difference; and what are the reasons for the difference.

Answer: An analysis of all Fire Service College Civil Service staff salaries by grade as at 1 June 2008 indicates that no material gender pay gap exists within junior grades at the college. At higher and senior levels, the gap is between 3 per cent and 10 per cent. This is as a direct result of two out of four male staff transferring in from other government departments with salaries at the top of the scale and the small numbers of staff in two grades having a significant effect on median salaries.

Secondary information