§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have plans to introduce any measures to expedite progress towards equal pay. [HL497]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)The Government's new earnings survey for April 1997 shows that women's average hourly earnings, excluding overtime, were 80.2 per cent. of men's, and, although this difference is still disappointingly large, it has shrunk a little more every year for 10 years. Government policies will enable more women to train for and enter higher status jobs, and will encourage employers to pay full and fair rates. In addition, the introduction of a national minimum wage will help to reduce the gap between men's and women's pay, since women form a large proportion of those workers who will benefit from this measure. The Equal Opportunities Commission is currently undertaking a review of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Equal Pay Act 1970, and