Minister holds out prospect of sharing jobs in government

Equality

Ministers may be able to share jobs in future to make government posts more attractive to parents, Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, suggested during the first Commons question time devoted exclusively to women's issues.

Mrs Hewitt raised the prospect – saying she "looks forward to the time when we have the first pair of job-sharing ministers" – days after the disclosure that the new permanent secretary at the Department for International Development, Suma Chakrabarti, had negotiated to leave work at 5.30pm to see his daughter.

She said: "This is about achieving a massive culture change within business and within the public sector. I would entirely agree about Suma Chakrabarti's appointment ... Within my own department I have created a partnership group of management and the workforce to look at how we can do more to change our own working culture."

Mrs Hewitt also revealed that she had written to members of the Cabinet to ensure that they had audited the pay of their staff to ensure departments were abiding by equal pay legislation and giving serious consideration to more flexible working arrangements. Several departments and agencies had included proposals to reduce the pay gap between men and women in their settlements for the current year.

Mrs Hewitt thanked government whips for agreeing to the 10-minute question time on women's affairs.

Joan Ruddock, a former minister for women, said: "As someone who pressed for such a slot in 1997, may I particularly welcome this dedicated women's question time and hope that it will be extended in future."