Thousands of employers are now required to publish their gender pay gap figures for the first time. You can see what information companies have published so far on the gender pay gap viewing service.

As part of the new regulations, by April 2018 employers will be required to:

Publish their median gender pay gap figures

By identifying the wage of the middle earner, the median is the best representation of the ‘typical’ gender difference.

Publish their mean gender pay gap figures

By taking into account the full earnings distribution, the mean takes into account the low and high earners in an organisation – this is particularly useful as women are often over-represented at the low earning extreme and men are over-represented at the high earning extreme.

Publish the proportion of men & women in each quartile of the pay structure

This data will show the spread of male and female earners across an organisation, helping to show employers where women’s progress might be stalling so they can take action to support their career development.

Publish the gender pay gaps for any bonuses paid out during the year

As there is a significant issue around bonus payments in some sectors, employers will also have to publish the proportion of male and proportion of female employees that received a bonus during the year.

Employers will also be encouraged to publish an action plan alongside the figures on their own website, demonstrating the steps they will take to close the gender pay gap within their organisation.

Lord Adonis has today (21 April 2017) been appointed as the permanent Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), where he will provide expert and impartial advice to ensure modern Britain has the infrastructure it needs for the future.

Previously interim Chair, Lord Adonis, who served as Transport Secretary between 2009 and 2010, has successfully led the Commission since it was first established in October 2015.

The Chancellor has also appointed Sir John Armitt as Deputy Chair. He brings a wealth of experience to this role with a long and distinguished career in business and a proven track-record in delivering major infrastructure projects.

Four new Commissioners – Dame Kate Barker, Professor David Fisk, Andy Green and Julia Prescot – will also join the NIC to help boost its expertise as it develops a National Infrastructure Assessment setting out how best to meet Britain’s long-term infrastructure needs.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

The National Infrastructure Commission plays a crucial role to help ensure the UK’s infrastructure is fit for the future. I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Lord Adonis as the permanent Chair. He has great ambition, vision and energy, and brings cabinet-level experience and deep knowledge of infrastructure to this role.

The government has a plan for Britain and is determined to make the most of the opportunities ahead. Part of this will be ensuring our infrastructure is fit for purpose to support an economy that works for everyone and ensure our outward-looking country can continue to succeed on the global stage.

Lord Andrew Adonis said:

I’m delighted to have been formally appointed as Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), and to be able to build on the work that I began as interim Chair. Our infrastructure networks are central to the UK’s economy and society, but too often their planning has been piecemeal and short-term. The NIC provides the opportunity to transform this and deliver the infrastructure that the UK needs to ensure its prosperity over the coming decades.

I’m also pleased to welcome the new Commissioners to the NIC. These Commissioners, along with our existing ones, are leading experts and ensure the NIC provides the best advice to government on the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs.

The government has also asked the existing members – Tim Besley, Demis Hassabis, Sadie Morgan and Bridget Rosewell – to serve as Permanent Commissioners until October 2020, having been initially appointed on an interim basis.

Further information

The NIC was established in January 2017 as an executive agency to help plan, prioritise and ensure efficient investment in infrastructure. It has its own budget and is autonomous, which is set out in a charter detailing the government’s clear commitment to its operational independence.

Today’s appointments of the Chair, Deputy Chair and new Commissioners follow an open competition, in line with the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. Lord Adonis, Sir John Armitt and the new Commissioners will serve 5 year terms on the Commission.

Further details on the new Commissioners:

• Dame Kate Barker is a business economist, and was a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) from 2001 to 2010

• David Fisk is Emeritus Professor of Systems Engineering and Innovation at the Centre for Systems Engineering and Infrastructure at Imperial College London, and a member of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority

• Andy Green is a business leader. He currently chairs IG Group plc, a global leader in online trading, and the Digital Catapult, an initiative to help grow the UK digital economy

• Julia Prescot is Chief Strategy Officer at Meridiam, a leading global investor and asset manager specialising in public infrastructure

21 Apr 2017

Ministers have announced new measures to tackle drug-drivers – days after the Scottish Conservatives launched a campaign on the issue.

Justice secretary Michael Matheson said he would introduce new limits and roadside testing, a move that will finally see the system here catch up with that of the rest of the UK.

On Monday, shadow justice secretary Douglas Ross unveiled a campaign to introduce those very measures, pointing out how victims of drug-drivers and their families north of the border were missing out.

He welcomed today’s announcement, which will see new legislation in place by 2019.

Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Douglas Ross said:

“This is welcome news and comes after sustained pressure from the Scottish Conservatives for action.

“Under the SNP, Scotland was lagging behind other parts of the UK and the menace of drug-driving was going unpunished.

“We will keep the pressure on the SNP to ensure that these reforms are introduced speedily so that everyone on our roads is safer.”

To see the Scottish Conservative call from earlier this week, visit:
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/04/snp-must-crack-down-on-drug-driving-menace/

21 Apr 2017

The Labour party will pursue a coalition deal with the SNP ahead of June’s General Election, it has been reported.

Sources said today Labour would be well-placed to “cut a deal” with parties like the SNP in an anti-Brexit move.

This undermines claims from Kezia Dugdale earlier this week that the party wouldn’t be looking to team up with the SNP to keep the Conservatives out of number 10.

The admission confirms Labour’s weakness on Scotland’s place in the UK, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said.

She added while Ms Dugdale may say publicly she doesn’t want to do business with the nationalists, behind the scenes she’s “plotting to do a deal” that would “sell pro-UK Scots down the river”.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“The cat is out of the bag. Despite public denials from Jeremy Corbyn and Kezia Dugdale, it turns out that – in private – they are plotting to do a deal with the SNP.

“We know already that Jeremy Corbyn is willing to do a deal with the SNP – he has said he is ‘absolutely fine’ with a second referendum on independence.

“Talk from Labour about ruling out a coalition with Labour is a straw man.

“It’s clear the real plan is to buy SNP votes in the House of Commons to help put a minority Labour government in power – and sell pro-UK Scots down the river in the process.

“There is only one way to stop this – and that is to vote Scottish Conservative on June 8.

“Only we can be relied upon to stand up against a second referendum and fight back against the SNP.”

To see the original story, visit:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/labour-plots-brexit-deal-parties-10265607