House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service publish 2021 pay gap data

Gender Pay Gap   

House of Commons

• At -0.2%, the mean pay gap is now slightly in favour of women – a swing of 1.1 percentage points (ppts) from the previous year
• For the second year in a row, the median pay gap is 0.9%

PDS

• The mean pay gap is 1.1%, a 0.3 ppt increase on 2020 figures
• The median pay gap is -0.9% - a swing of 0.9 ppts now in favour of women

Compared to the UK’s median pay gap of 15.4% in favour of men, both organisations show encouraging figures.

Ethnicity Pay Gap  

Both PDS and House of Commons chose to publish their ethnicity pay gap figures as part of a commitment to improving diversity in Parliament.

House of Commons

• The House of Commons reports a 19.2% mean pay gap, a decrease of 0.7 ppts since 2020
• The median pay gap is 13.2%, an increase of 0.8 ppts since 2020

PDS

• The mean pay gap was 17.7%, an increase of 4.5 ppts compared to 2020
• The median pay gap was 16.8%, a decrease of 8 ppts compared to 2020

These figures highlight a lack of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people working at the most senior pay bands, which both organisations are working hard to address. Using different methodology, ONS figures from 2019 found that the ethnicity pay gap in London was 23.8%.

Recognising that there is still more to be done to reach gender pay parity and address the inequality experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff, the House of Commons and PDS have made a clear commitment to providing a positive, inclusive working environment, introducing a number of new initiatives to tackle racism and reduce inequality.

John Benger, Clerk of the House of Commons, said: “Reforming and improving the culture of the House of Commons is a long-term goal for the House Service. That is why for the third year running, we are voluntarily publishing our ethnicity pay gap figures alongside our gender pay gap data.

“We are proud to still be able to report one of the lowest gender pay gaps in the public service, with our mean gender pay gap now slightly in favour of women and our median gap remaining unchanged from last year.

“Our ethnicity pay gap is still far too high. In comparison to last year’s published figures, there has been a decrease in the average (mean) gap of 0.7 percentage points and an increase in the median gap of 0.8 percentage points. 

“Here, we still have a long way to go, but we are taking steps to address this problem. Ensuring Parliament is an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive will always be our goal, and we continue to take action to achieve this.”

Marianne Cwynarski, Director General (Operations) of the House of Commons said:

“It’s important we recognise the progress we’ve made in our Gender Pay Gap. This Women’s History Month myself and other women who work across Parliament have shared experiences from our careers in the hope of encouraging continued conversation in this space. We mustn’t be complacent.

“We will continue to strive to make progress on our Ethnicity Pay Gap, which is a key priority for us. We have set out in detail how we’re going to ensure this happens, as we continue the work started the Clerk’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Advisory Group into the new Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

“Each of us should use this report to reflect on our progress with our teams, as we work together to ensure Parliament is a great place to work for everyone.”

Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS) David Smith said:

“We are committed to building a team at PDS that is inclusive and diverse. While publishing these pay gap figures is part of that approach, the numbers show that our progress may not be as straightforward or as quick we would hope.

“There is much more to be done to address the ethnicity pay gap in PDS, which is driven by having too few Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues in senior positions. We are taking action to address our workplace on these counts, with pay and reward, learning and development, and organisational culture as some of the key areas of focus.

“I am pleased to report that that our gender pay gap continues to be close to parity, and that the greater representation of women in PDS senior leadership has led to a reduction in the median gap.

“We will continue to work with the House of Commons and the House of Lords to understand and address inequality in Parliament. My ambition is to make PDS a place where colleagues are valued equally for what they bring to our organisation.”

• Read: House of Commons pay gap report 2021 (PDF)
• Read: Parliamentary Digital Service pay gap report 2021 (PDF)