CIVIL SERVICE GENDER PAY GAP

That this House welcomes the latest figures from Ernst and Young accountants showing that the gender pay-gap within the Scottish Government's top civil servant jobs is only 0.6 per cent; welcomes these figures as the latest indicator that the Scottish Government is taking serious action to reduce the gender pay-gap; recognises that, although a disparity still exists, women employed by the Scottish Government are far more likely to be paid the same as men than if employed by the UK Government; notes that the figures in Scotland are in stark contrast to UK central government departments where women are, on average, paid 6.3 per cent less than men; understands that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has the biggest pay-gap in Whitehall, with women in DECC's senior team paid, on average, almost 17 per cent less than their male counterparts; calls on the UK Government to take urgent action to address the gender pay-gap within Whitehall; and congratulates the Scottish Government on almost eliminating the disparity.