Windrush Generation: 75th Anniversary

Debate between Baroness Scott of Bybrook and Baroness Chakrabarti

Wednesday 24th May 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

I am afraid I cannot give that sort of information about what the Prime Minister is doing for Windrush, but I can say that across government there are numerous events going on. For a start, the Foreign Secretary has visited Jamaica only recently and discussed the positive contribution that Caribbean immigration had made to the fabric of the UK. The Ministry of Defence is using Windrush 75 as part of its Armed Forces Week, and we will be announcing plans in due course about what other departments will be doing to celebrate.

[Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)]

My Lords, in addition to parties and such celebrations, which I am sure we all welcome, might the Government not remember the Windrush generation by adequately compensating all those who are still waiting for justice—and not getting any younger?

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

We are paying out continually under the compensation scheme, and the Home Office continues to make improvements to how easily people can access that scheme. We have paid out £59.55 million across 1,599 claims to the end of March 2023, a further £11.11 million has been offered and is awaiting acceptance, and a final decision has been made on 62% of the claims—so we are working on this. We are working with claimants on how we can make it easier and will continue to do so.

People of African Descent in the United Kingdom

Debate between Baroness Scott of Bybrook and Baroness Chakrabarti

Monday 17th April 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

I think I have already said that we are not waiting. We have a strategy called the Inclusive Britain strategy, which has been going for a year. Today, we published the first results of that strategy. We will wait until the September final report and look at whether there is anything further that we have to do, but, actually, we are doing it before we get that report.

[Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)]

My Lords—

Women and Men: Pay Gap

Debate between Baroness Scott of Bybrook and Baroness Chakrabarti

Wednesday 8th March 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

I am sorry; I cannot confirm that they are paid the same salary, but it is a jolly good job if they are doing the same as the men.

[Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)]

Will the Minister reflect on whether we have a historic fatal flaw in equal pay legislation? We leave it to women themselves to find out the comparators and sue their employers. In every other area where the state wants to regulate, it takes on principal responsibility for inspection and enforcement.

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

I think the equal pay scheme has worked well since 1970, and it was protected but also enhanced in 2010. Many employers conduct regular equal pay audits in their companies, which is a good thing. It ensures that they are not acting unlawfully and that their staff are treated equally. In 2014, the Government strengthened equal pay protections by introducing mandatory equal pay audits for organisations that lose any equal pay claim, so if an organisation goes wrong, we will check it out.