MPs debate petition on ethnic pay gap reporting

MPs debated a petition to introduce mandatory ethnic pay gap reporting for Britain's largest companies on 20th September 2021 after e-petition 300105 received more than 130,000 signatures. Elliot Colburn, member of the Petitions Committee, opened the debate. Paul Scully MP, a Minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, responded for the Government.

The petition, which has more than 130,000 signatures, states: “Much like the existing mandatory requirement for employers with 250 or more employees must publish their gender pay gap. We call upon the government to introduce the ethnicity pay gap reporting. To shine a light on race / ethnicity based inequality in the workplace so that they can be addressed.”

In its response to the petition, the Government said: “The Government ran a consultation from October 2018 to January 2019 on the introduction of mandatory Ethnicity Pay Reporting. We are currently analysing these and will respond by the end of the year.”