Government has failed to tackle income inequality - Gidley

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th May 2005

Commenting on the publication of DTI figures which show that the average income, from all sources, of men is almost double that of women, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women, Sandra Gidley MP said:

"The Government has failed to address the root causes of income inequality.

"Whilst the average income, from all sources, of men is almost double that of women, amongst pensioners women's income is 37% of that of comparable men. Just 13 per cent of women pensioners are entitled to the full basic state pension, compared to 92 per cent of men.

"By any stretch of the imagination a society where men are twice as wealthy as women, is a society which has failed to get to grips with the problems of female poverty."