Gender Pay Gap (Hansard, 14 March 2002)

§ Mr. Frank Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the average gap between men's and women's pay is in the Stockton, North constituency; [42395]
(2) what plans the Government have to collate statistics on the gender pay gap in the Stockton, North constituency. [42396]

§ Alan Johnson
The Office for National Statistics publishes data on men and women's pay in the New Earnings Survey (NES). However, in the case of Stockton,1184W North constituency, the data are not sufficiently reliable for publication. Data are available for the north-east Government Office Region (GOR).
According to the 2001 NES, average hourly pay for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the north-east GOR, was £10.08 for men and £8.48 for women, a pay gap of £1.60 per hour.
Current trends in women's individual incomes have been explored in two studies, published last year, by the Women and Equality Unit (WEU). Copies of these reports are available on the WEU website http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/publications/researchandpublications.htm.
WEU Gender Briefing, which provides statistical briefing on the position of women compared with men in the labour market, is also available on the website http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/genderbriefing/home.htm.
There are no plans to commission further research into the gap between men and women's pay in the north-east GOR.

§ Mr. Todd
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans the Government have to commission data on the gender pay gap at regional and national levels; [41468]
(2) how the average gap between men and women's pay at regional and national levels is calculated. [41467]

§ Alan Johnson
Estimates of earnings by gender, region, and country of the UK are available from the annual New Earnings Survey (NES). Comparisons of gender pay differences are calculated by comparing estimates of average hourly earnings excluding overtime for full-time employees, for those employees whose pay was not affected by absence.
Current trends in women's individual incomes have been explored in two studies, published last year, by the Women and Equality Unit (WEU). Copies of these reports are available on the WEU website: http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/publications/researchandpublications.htm.
WEU Gender Briefing, which provides statistical briefing on the position of women compared with men in the labour market, is also available on the website: http://www/womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/genderbriefing/hom.htm.
There are no plans to commission further research into the gap between men and women's pay at regional and national levels.

§ Helen Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to commission research into the gap between men's and women's pay in the Warrington, North constituency; and what the average gap is. [41441]

§ Alan Johnson
[holding answer 11 March 2002]: The Office for National Statistics publishes data on men and women's pay in the New Earnings Survey. However, in the case of Warrington North constituency, the data is not sufficiently reliable for publication. Data are available for the Warrington unitary authority.
1185W
According to the 2001 New Earnings Survey (NES), average hourly earnings for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the Warrington unitary authority was £11.78 for men and £9.14 for women, a pay gap of £2.64 per hour.
Current trends in women's individual incomes have been explored in two studies, published last year, by the Women and Equality Unit (WEU). Copies of these reports are available on the WEU website: http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/publications/researchandpublications.htm.
WEU Gender Briefing, which provides statistical briefing on the position of women compared with men in the labour market, is also available on the website: http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/genderbriefing/home.htm.
There are no plans to commission further research into the gap between men and women's pay in Warrington.

§ Helen Southworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the pay gap between men and women in(a) Warrington, South and (b) the north-west region; and if she will commission research into the gender gap between men's and women's pay in these areas. [42691]

§ Alan Johnson
[holding answer 12 March 2002]: The Office for National Statistics publishes data on men and women's pay in the New Earnings Survey (NES). However, in the case of Warrington, South constituency, the data are not sufficiently reliable for publication. Data are available for Warrington Unitary Authority (UA) and the north-west Government Office Region (GOR).
(a) According to the 2001 NES, average hourly pay for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in Warrington UA, was £11.78 for men and £9.14 for women, a pay gap of £2.64.

(b) Average hourly pay for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the north-west GOR, was £10.93 for men and £9.01 for women, a pay gap of £1.92.
Current trends in women's individual incomes have been explored in two studies, published last year, by the Women and Equality Unit (WEU). Copies of these reports are available on the WEU website. http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/publications/researchandpublications.htm.
WEU Gender Briefing, which provides statistical briefing on the position of women compared with men in the labour market, is also available on the website http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/genderbriefing/home.htm.
There are no plans to commission further research into the gap between men and women's pay in Warrington UA or the north-west GOR.