§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap among staff in his Department. [40997]
§ Dr. WhiteheadThe Government have committed Departments and agencies to review their pay systems by April 2003 and prepare action plans to close any equal pay gaps. The Cabinet Office issued comprehensive guidance in January 2002 to assist in these reviews.
In advance of the Cabinet Office guidance and in conjunction with the local trade union side an equal pay review was instigated in the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Central) during the 1199W 2001 pay round, following guidelines contained in the Equal Opportunities Commission's code of practice. The outcome of this review is subject to the Governments commitment to review pay systems by April 2003.