MPs debate equal pay and tax credits
1 July 2015 (updated on 1 July 2015)
MPs debated equal pay and the gender pay gap in the House of Commons on Wednesday 1 July 2015.
The second of the Opposition debates scheduled for 1 July 2015, on tax credits and support for working families, was postponed.
Equal pay and the gender pay gap
The debate was moved by Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, Gloria De Piero. Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, responded on behalf of the Government.
Motion for debate
The following motion has been tabled for debate:
'That this House notes that, 45 years after the Equal Pay Act 1970, women still earn on average 81 pence for every pound earned by men; welcomes the fact that pay transparency under section 78 of the Equality Act 2010 will be introduced in 2016; and calls on the Government to ensure that this results in real progress to close the gender pay gap by mandating the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to conduct, in consultation with the Low Pay Commission, an annual equal pay check to analyse information provided under section 78 on pay gaps across every sector of the economy and to make recommendations to close the gender pay gap.'
- Watch the debate on equal pay and the gender pay gap live on Parliament TV
- Read Commons Hansard: Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap
- Read current Parliamentary material in Topics: Pay
Transcripts of proceedings in the House of Commons Chamber are available three hours after they happen in Today’s Commons Debates.
Tax credits and support for working families
The Speaker announced that the second Opposition debate, on tax credits and support for working families, would be postponed as a consequence of there being two statements earlier in the day.
Related information
About Opposition day debates
Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons in each session for the discussion of subjects chosen by the Opposition.
Seventeen days are at the disposal of the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the largest opposition party, to decide which matters are debated. Three days are usually divided between the other opposition parties.
The Opposition generally use them to raise questions of policy and administration. Frequently, two separate subjects are debated on an opposition day.
Watching Opposition day debates from the public gallery
UK residents and overseas visitors can watch proceedings in the House of Commons by visiting the public gallery.
This article was produced by the Commons Digital Outreach Team. Follow the @HouseofCommons on Twitter for updates on the UK House of Commons Chamber.