Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Carrie Gracie says she took the job of China editor believing her pay was "roughly in line with the North America editor and the Europe editor".

She says she later learned that the new North America editor (a man) was earning much more while the new Europe editor (a woman) was paid about the same as her.

She insists she was not asking for more money: "I feel my salary is a good salary. It's public money."

However, she adds: "They're still not giving me equality. They're still not giving me parity."

Ms Gracie says managers never provided her with "robust benchmarks" to explain why they wanted to pay some male editors more.

"They're trying to throw money at me to resolve the problem," she adds, when she wants an acknowledgement that "my work was of equal value".

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Carrie Gracie tells the committee that female journalists long believed that they were "underpaid in comparison to male peers" and she knew there was pay inequality between men and women.

"I thought I had won a commitment to pay parity," Ms Gracie said, professing herself "shocked" to discover later that at least two other international editors were paid at least 50% more than her.

"I admire the work of my male peers." she insists, citing North America editor Jon Sopel and Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen.

"My case is just an example of the bigger problem," she tells MPs.

"If the BBC can't sort it out" for senior staff in powerful positions, she asks, how can they sort the problem out for staff in lower pay grades?

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The evidence session kicks off with former BBC China editor, Carrie Gracie, and NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet.

Ms Gracie says she was appointed China editor in 2013, to follow a country which managers thought was "an under-covered story".

"I speak Mandarin, I have a Chinese degree," she tells the committee.

She adds that she took the job at a time that was not "great" for her children, but former head of BBC News James Harding "went down on bended knee to persuade me to go".

Despite her concerns, she adds, she believed that more women were needed on air, which helped to persuade her.

Select Committee
Parliament

Today's committee session follows a new report into the BBC, which said there is "no gender bias" regarding pay decisions at the corporation.

But the BBC's approach to setting pay in general "has been far from perfect", auditors PwC found.

Their report, published on Tuesday, found a 6.8% gender pay gap among on-air staff.

Responding to the report, the BBC said there would be "substantial" pay cuts for some men, and pay rises for some men and women.

Director general Tony Hall said "important issues" had to be tackled.

Read more.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, BBC / PA

MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee will gather at 2pm for an evidence session as part of their inquiry into pay at the BBC.

They will question witnesses including Carrie Gracie, the BBC journalist who resigned as China editor in early January, saying she was dismayed to discover the BBC's two male international editors earned "at least 50% more" than their two female counterparts.

Other BBC figures appearing are director general Tony Hall, chairman Sir David Clementi, deputy director general Anne Bulford and the newly-appointed head of news, Fran Unsworth.

On Tuesday, Lord Hall apologised to any BBC employee who had not been paid correctly, but said he believed the BBC had not broken equal pay law.

Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, will also appear before the committee.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Peter Grant is curious to know when the government started to prepare the analysis.

He jokes that this latest document looks like analysis undertaken by the Scottish government.

WIdening his remarks out to constitutional arrangements, he says the government's behaviour "demonstrates the fallacy" that parliament holds the government to account.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former minister, Anna Soubry starts by complimenting the minister, saying that he does "an outstanding job in exceptionally difficult circumstances".

"But", she says, "with bucketloads of respect the government can't have it both ways".

She states that the documents are either "really rather meaningless documents in which case publish the wretched things" or "they are things of great value that must be kept secret".

"Which is it?" she wonders, "because at the moment we don't know."

The minister says the government is agreeing to publication "on an exceptional basis".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Brexit Minister Robin Walker is giving details of the release of the leaked Brexit analysis, saying a confidential reading room will be opened for MPs.

He stresses that the research is "preliminary and unfinished" and is "not anywhere near being approved by ministers."

He continues that it does not represent "an accurate representation of the expected outcome".

The figures should not be considered government numbers, he adds.

Sir Keir Starmer responds to this in the House, saying he doesn't want to see "a motion accepted only for there to be a quibble over wording" as there was with the motion on impact assessments.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Ken Clarke observes "a curious cult of secrecy" has grown up in officialdom over recent years.

He says leaks are "deplorable" when they compromise national interest or contain sensitive party political information, but "an objective analysis - it's impossible to see how it compromises the national interest".

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

A relatively brisk 42 minutes of PMQs today – perhaps because, with neither Theresa May nor Jeremy Corbyn taking part, there was less cacophony and the Speaker had to spend less time quelling noisy MPs. So what did we learn?

Emily Thornberry’s questioning on women’s representation in the Commons and on votes for 16 year-olds was a smart choice both in electoral and in internal party terms. And while David Lidington produced an adroit, effective, response, she will, doubtless, feel it’s “job done”.

David Lidington is a long-serving, senior minister, with nothing to prove. Emily Thornberry has points to score and potential allies to win over. Both performers gave full rein to their inner luvvie, with some entertaining theatrics, but somehow it’s just never as real as when the two leaders do battle.

The backbench questioners caught the mood as well; most of the questions were either carefully “helpful” to their particular party, or raised constituency concerns. No-one on the backbenches sought to embarrass, or even pressure, the two stand-ins. There was a ritual exchange of courtesies and assurances between Mr Lidington and the DUP’s Leader, Nigel Dodds, protecting the Commons pact which is the Government’s delicate jugular vein, and there were signs that the SNP’s Ian Blackford has begun to get the hang of PMQs, with a well-honed question on Brexit and the Single Market.

Probably the nastiest moment came when Speaker Bercow complained of “boorish and in one case rather stupid” heckling. I’m not sure, from my viewpoint, who his target was – but I’m sure the MP is question will be smarting. But the Speaker is too secure on his Chair to worry about bruised backbench bruisers.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer is introducing Labour's opposition day debate, moving that "an humble address" be presented to require the government's Brexit analysis to be released to the Exiting the European Union Committee and made available to all MPs on a confidential basis.

The study leaked to BuzzFeed suggests that in three different scenarios the UK economy would grow more slowly than it would if it stayed in the European Union.

Sir Keir begins by observing: "The saga of the Brexit impact assessment rolls on."

He says the government resisted publication of those documents and is now in a "Groundhog Day" move refusing to release the analysis obtained by BuzzFeed.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

The Lords continue their debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill at second reading. The chamber is on speaker 125 of 197.

Shortly, peers will take a lunch break and will return for oral questions to the government at 3pm. Questions today range from the NHS, Brexit, income inequality and on prisons careers.

Immediately after questions former Foreign Secretary, Lord Hague of Richmond, will continue the debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill. He is speaker number 132.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Louise Haigh introduces a ten minute rule bill to require disclosure of information held by public authorities or by persons contracted to provide services for them or on their behalf.

She argues this would mean individuals don't have to "wade through a swamp" to get information on decisions made in their name.

Ten minute rule bills are a type of private member's bill and are unlikely to become law without government backing.

Reality Check

David Lidington tells the SNP's Ian Blackford: "When we leave the European Union next March we will, as a matter of legality, leave the single market and the EU customs union."

It is legally possible to be outside the EU but a member of the customs union or the single market. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are in the single market but not the EU. Turkey is part of the customs union, although its arrangement excludes things like agriculture and services.

Mr Blackford went on to claim that the UK would still be in the single market during the transition period.

The EU's guidelines for the transition period, external say that the UK will continue to be part of the single market and the customs union during transition.

But the government has said it plans to leave both during the transition.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Richard Burden refers to the takeover of aerospace firm GKN, asking government to intervene on security grounds in the public interest.

David Lidington says it's being examined by the relevant independent authorities and it would be wrong for him to intervene at this stage.