House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service publish 2022 pay gap data

Gender Pay Gap   

House of Commons

• The mean GPG (the difference between men’s and women’s average hourly pay) for the House of Commons is 1.7% and the median GPG is 0.9%.
  
  
• In comparison to last year’s published figures, there has been no change in the median gap - the more accurate measure in considering pay gaps - and an increase in the mean gap by 0.8 percentage points (ppts), in favour of men. 
  
  

PDS

• Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS) reports a mean GPG of 5.3%, a 4.2 ppt increase on 2021 figures. The median pay gap is now 3.8% a swing of 4.7 ppts now in favour of men. This movement reflects a decrease in the representation of women in senior roles in PDS.
  
  
• The House of Commons and PDS median GPG figures compare very favourably with the UK 2022 median GPG of 14.9% and the Civil Service’s overall median GPG of 11.3% and remain some of the lowest in the public sector.

Ethnicity Pay Gap  

Both PDS and the House of Commons chose to publish their ethnicity pay gap figures as part of a commitment to improving diversity in Parliament. This is about improving equality, diversity and inclusion in Parliament and ensuring we create a culture where everyone is valued and can thrive.

House of Commons

• The EPG mean pay gap (the difference in average hourly pay between Black, Asian and minority ethnic  employees and white employees)  for the House of Commons has decreased to 16.9% (19.2% in 2021) and the median EPG is now 12.6%. (13.2% in 2021).
  
  
• In comparison to last year’s published figures, there has been a decrease in the average (mean) gap of 2.6 ppts and a decrease in the median gap of 0.6 ppts. 
  
  
• The latest ONS figures (2022) shows London to have a median EPG of 19.6% and the UK to have a median EPG of 3.5%.

PDS

• For PDS, the mean pay gap was 19.1%, an increase of 1.4 ppts compared to 2021 and the median pay gap was 15.8 ppts, a decrease of 1 ppts compared to 2021.
  
  

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. 

The House of Commons and PDS choose to publish their ethnicity pay gap figures annually as part of our commitment to transparency in delivering on cultural transformation to improve the lived experience of Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues. The House of Commons and PDS recognises 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: 

‘Building an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive remains our long-term goal. We are committed to continuous improvement and while I am proud of our progress so far, I am aware we need to keep taking meaningful actions.

Our new House Service Strategy launching in April and our new Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) Strategy lay out what we need to do, and how we will do it.  The strategies unify our purpose, putting our people at the heart of what we do to make Parliament happen.  

This year, we again report one of the lowest gender pay gaps in the public sector.

This is the fourth consecutive year we voluntarily publish our ethnicity pay gap figures alongside our statutorily required gender pay gap data. Transparency drives accountability and this information provides both a benchmark for success and importantly shows us where we need to improve. 

I am pleased that the ethnicity pay gap has decreased this year. The small improvement is positive but the ethnicity pay gap figures remain too high.

The new I&D strategy builds on what we have achieved so far and sets out ambitious strategic priorities to achieve by 2027. Our areas of focus are reducing the ethnicity pay gap, improving accessibility and fostering inclusive environments. This work will be driven forward across the organisation and through teams, where we all have a role to play.  

Working together across Parliament to co-create a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can flourish will always be our goal, and we continue to take action every day to achieve this.’ 

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

‘Maintaining one of the lowest gender pay gaps in the public service is a real achievement. However, we will not be complacent, our work for parity in this space is ongoing. 

We launched our hybrid working policy in January following a successful trial period and we have ensured it is flexible, inclusive and supports people with caring responsibilities. Our career break returner programme continues to support women who have taken time out to bring up children or who care for others.  

Our ongoing work to create a fully inclusive environment across Parliament includes significantly improving the experience of our estate based colleagues. We are providing new career development opportunities, continuing to roll out new digital devices with training and we have created new dedicated spaces specifically for this community. 

 I’m pleased to see that our ethnicity pay gap has improved this year and although incremental, it is an indication that our policies and processes are starting to have an impact. Reducing it further remains a key priority for us, and the new Inclusion and Diversity Strategy sets out in detail how we’re going to do this.  

 Our diversity data informs our strategy. It is vital for providing us with a picture of our workforce and enabling us to continue to make informed decisions to create an inclusive and diverse culture for everyone.’ 

Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS) David Smith said:

‘We are committed to building a team at PDS that is inclusive, diverse and welcoming. We are part of Parliament, and our aim is to be representative of the society that we serve. Transparency and a commitment to publishing our gender and ethnicity pay gap data is key to understanding and tackling inequality. Our pay gap data this year show that, although we have made progress in some areas, there is much more work to do. 

The PDS workforce was 456 people during this reporting year, and this relatively small number means that there will always be some variation in our pay gap data each year. But in 2022, our gender pay gap (GPG) figures show a move from gender parity in 2021 to an increased gap in favour of men. And there is still much more to be done to address the continued inequality in our EPG figures which continue to be driven by too few Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues in senior positions in PDS.  

We therefore have a renewed focus on the range of actions set out in this report that aim to create a diverse inclusive and fair workplace. Key areas we are working on are recruitment, pay and reward, learning and development, and our organisational culture.  

My ambition continues to be that PDS is a place where colleagues are valued equally for what they bring to our organisation. This report sets out the action we have taken to address inequalities and what we will do to strengthen and continue this work in the year ahead.’  

• Read the Parliamentary Digital Service pay gap report 2022
• Read the House of Commons pay gap report 2022