Following the cut off date for the reporting of the gender pay gap a fortnight ago, one in 10 employers has yet to publish their figures, it has been revealed.

In total 1500 employers have yet got to submit data following the 4 April deadline.

The figures are so important because it allows the Government, business leaders and other stakeholders to enable change It provides the compelling evidence some employers might need to make changes. And as Harriet Harman has said, it also provides cast iron evidence of women’s long held view that they were being paid differently to men for carrying out the same or similar roles.

It’s not just a concern for the City, almost every aspect of employment, and areas of industry are affected by this in some way. This includes supermarkets, trade unions as well as legal firms, the banking industry- almost every area is covered!

Looking to companies such as Tesco the gap is completely unambiguous. Why do women on the checkout earn £8ph but men in the warehouse earn £11.50.

The problem with challenging issues associated with the gender pay gap is that the very body which is tasked with enforcing the law, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission has faced significant government cuts.

How can the EHRC be expected to carry out sanctions and enforce the law when it is itself so stretched? What is the governments action plan to close the gender pay gap?