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Equal Pay and Flexible Working Bill [HL]

My Lords, perhaps I may make clear that I am not politically partisan on this issue and that I fully recognise that previous Conservative Governments have been as derelict as the present Labour Government in not tackling this issue. In the past, there have been green shoots; for example, in Northern Ireland a progressive law was introduced in Margaret Thatcher’s time and the noble Lord’s record is also notable. I said nothing to suggest that the Liberal Democrats are superior on any of these questions. As the appointment in 1976 of the noble Baronesses, Lady Howe and Lady Lockwood, as chair and deputy-chair of the EOC indicated, it is vital that we are cross-party on these issues. I hope that that is clear.