To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what progress has been made towards equal pay since May 2007.
We know from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2008 that the gender pay gap for Scotland is currently 13.5%, based on the average (or mean) hourly earnings for full-time staff (defined as working over 30 hours per week). The median figure is nearly 11%. This shows a slight decrease in the pay gap from 2007 when equivalent figures were almost 15% and 12%.
If we compare the hourly earnings of women working part-time with those of men working full-time, the gap is just over 32% (based on the average or mean) and almost 35% based on the median. Again, this shows a decrease from 2007 when equivalent figures were 34.5% and 37.5%.
Scottish public bodies with more than 150 employees, including Scottish Government, were required to publish an equal pay statement that sets out their policy on equal pay between men and women by September 2007, and report against the statement - and review the statement - at least every three years. (specific public sector duty under the Gender Equality Duty). The first reports are due in September 2010.
One of the Scottish Government''s gender equality objectives is to tackle the gender pay gap/ work towards equal pay, as detailed in the Scottish Government''s Gender Equality Scheme and Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47696).
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/12114733/0.
The Scottish Government recognises that a key issue for understanding and tackling the pay gap is occupational segregation. The cross-directorate working group on occupational segregation published its report on the Scottish Government website in August 2008 and the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47697).
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/08/27101332/0.