Female Employees (Hansard, 12 July 1990)

§ Mr. Dunnachie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to give incentives to companies to increase their numbers of full-time female employees; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The Government have no plans to introduce such legislation.

§ Mr. Dunnachie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce measures to improve the pay of British female employees relative to that in other European Community countries; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Nicholls
No, pay is for employers and employees to determine through negotiation and any measures directly to raise women's pay without any corresponding increase in output would add to employer's costs, and reduce competitiveness and the number of women employed.
Pay comparisons with other European Community countries are of no real value given the very different economic and industrial situations in other member states.

§ Mr. Dunnachie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to impose further penalties on any company which deliberately deflates the salaries paid to female employees with superior qualifications to those of their male counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Nicholls
No. The Equal Pay Act 1970 provides a full and effective legislative framework for combatting unjustifiable sex discrimination in pay.