Equality Bill

As a fellow vegetarian, I say that of course we are disappointed with the attitude displayed by the CBI in its briefing, but that does not mean that individual employers should not nevertheless take up the proposals and do whatever they should be doing. We are giving them three years and if after that time they do not comply with the voluntary system, enforcement will come. At this stage in our history, notwithstanding the fact that the noble Lord thinks we are ignoring history, we are in different times and we want to close the gender pay gap. We have reflected on these things for many hours and we believe that this is the best way forward and the best way to see progress. I note what the noble Lord says about Report and the beef, and I look forward to discussing this with him at a later stage. I now turn to the amendments tabled by my noble friend Lord King, which would mean that employers could also be required to publish and make available to their workforce and unspecified others information about their race, age or disability pay gaps, as well as their gender pay gaps. The Government have seen no evidence of a significant race or age pay gap. The gender pay gap is also much bigger than the disability pay gap, which now stands at 6.4 per cent, and we think that the way to reduce it is to get more disabled people into work. Publishing gender pay gap information means making it generally known, and the form and manner in which this should be done will be a matter for any regulations made under Clause 78 following public consultation. I do, however, hear what my noble friend says, and I trust that this will not be a problem that grows in future. If it is something that needs to be looked at in future, then look at it we must, but at the moment we do not think that the problem is sufficient to include it in legislation. I therefore ask the noble Baroness to withdraw the amendment.