EU urges Britain to improve child care for lone parents

The Government should do more to help lone parents go to work, particularly by improving child-care options, the European Commission said yesterday. The UK's job creation rate was praised in a far-ranging report on employment in the 15 member states, but Brussels highlighted "structural problems" which dog the economy.

The Government should do more to help lone parents go to work, particularly by improving child-care options, the European Commission said yesterday. The UK's job creation rate was praised in a far-ranging report on employment in the 15 member states, but Brussels highlighted "structural problems" which dog the economy.

"Though diminishing, the gender pay gap remains high compared to the EU average," said the report. The gap "attributable to the impact of parenthood is also the highest in the EU, suggesting a need for sufficient and affordable childcare".

The document, compiled by Anna Diamantopoulou, the commissioner for employment and social affairs, is a regular exercise in comparing job-creation performances, which encourages member states to match the best practice.

British officials welcomed the findings, citing praise for the country's "healthy employment rates" well above the EU average. The UK has a large number of women in part-time work, which sharpens the disparity in earnings, they said.

Ms Diamantopoulou suggested member states, unions and employers consider setting a national target for increasing the availability of care. The report said the British Government should "pursue efforts to reduce the gender pay gap and improve child-care provision to make it easier for men and women with parental responsibilities to take employment". It concludes: "Special attention should be given to the needs of lone parents."

The report said long-term unemployment among young people (17 per cent) and among the adult population (11 per cent) is higher than in the best-performing EU countries.

The skills gaps, particularly in IT is highlighted, and the report says the "low level of basic skills is a generalised problem in the UK". That should prompt intensified efforts to implement life-long learning, it suggests.

Despite the criticisms, the UK fared significantly better than Germany and France, with the Commission calling for both to cut taxes on labour.

A Government spokesman agreed there was a gender gap in earnings but said it was narrowing. "Over the past 10 years women's pay has increased by 24 per cent compared to 10 per cent for men. The report shows the UK's employment strategy is working."