§ Barbara FollettTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he has taken to promote the code of practice on equal pay in(a) the public sector and (b) the private sector. [15729]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Code of Practice on Equal Pay was published in 1997 by the Equal Opportunities Commission. With Government support, the Commission has publicised the Code of Practice in both the public and the private sectors. Since then the pay gap has narrowed from 20 per cent. to 18 per cent. We have provided an extra £100,000 in funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission to support work with employers on building the capacity for them to do pay reviews, including developing software to help employers with computerised pay systems.