My honourable friend the Solicitor-General (Vera Baird) has made the following Statement.

The Government’s aim is to build a fair and family-friendly labour market where everyone has the opportunity to develop their skills and experience.

The action we have taken to improve the position of women in the workplace has provided sound foundations. Women now make up almost 46 per cent of the economically active population and the difference in average hourly pay between men and women has narrowed significantly from 27.5 per cent in 1997 to 22 per cent in 2009. However, as the National Equality Panel reported last month, our labour market is still failing to make the best use of women’s talents. The norm remains “full-time” work for an adult lifetime, which does not reflect the life experiences of women, who still have the majority of caring responsibilities, nor, increasingly, of men who wish to do more.

The document we are publishing today—Working Towards Equality: A Framework for Action—explains why a fair and family-friendly labour market is necessary to boost economic growth, support families and reduce child poverty. It responds to both the substance and specific recommendations of the 2009 Women and Work Commission report, and sets out an action plan to ensure our labour market offers women genuine choices, equal opportunities and career structures which enable them to progress and to fulfil their potential. This includes commitments to challenge gender stereotyping in education, to investigate the barriers to sustainability in the childcare sector and to stimulate the supply of quality part-time work.

We are placing copies of the document in the Libraries of both Houses. Copies will also be available on the Government Equalities Office website at www.equalities.gov.uk.