Women and Equalities written question – answered at on 4 March 2026.
Douglas McAllister
Labour, West Dunbartonshire
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to help ensure that young women are aware of rights on equal pay.
Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities), Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination.
We have already introduced legislation, through the Employment Rights Act 2025, which will require employers to publish the actions they are taking to close the gender pay gap.
Through planned legislation, we will make the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people. We will also put in place measures to ensure that the outsourcing of services can no longer be used by employers to avoid paying equal pay, and we will implement a regulatory and enforcement unit for equal pay.
Last year, we launched a public call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including these commitments. We are currently analysing the responses to the call for evidence, which closed at the end of June 2025. We will consider the views from the call for evidence to ensure that the legislation works for everyone.
On implementing these measures, up-to-date, clear guidance will be made available so that everyone understands their rights under the law.
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