Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy and implications of the analysis published by the Women's Budget Group and Runnymede Trust on 28 November 2016 on the effect of the Government's fiscal policy between 2010 and 2020 on the income of BME women relative to the effect on the income of other groups.

The Government does not agree with some of the assumptions underpinning the analysis; such as, that income from benefits would not be shared within the household, the imprecise distributional impact of spending on public services and the lack of accounting for how the government is helping women and families of different backgrounds, by providing a stable economy.

The number of women in work has increased by 1.3 million since 2010 to 14.9 million and the female employment rate stands at a record high 69.8%. The number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women in work is at a record high. The Lone Parent employment rate, which covers both male and female lone parents, is currently the highest on record at 66.5%, over 10 percentage points above the 2005 rate.

We have put women front and centre of our economic plan, helping more women than ever before to start businesses and get the support they need to work through Tax-Free Childcare, and childcare support through Working Tax Credits and Universal Credit.