THE gender pay gap at the BBC is getting wider, executives at the corporation have admitted.
Under questioning from MPs on Westminster’s Media Committee, BBC bosses also conceded that pay gaps were worsening for LGBT+ people and members of black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.
Tory MP and committee chair Caroline Dinenage first brought the topic up as BBC director-general Tim Davie, chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva, and editorial policy chief David Jordan faced questions.
“What is the gender pay gap at the BBC?” she asked, adding: “How does that compare to the last two or three years? Is it getting better or worse?”
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Tavaziva said that, for the financial year 2022-23, the BBC’s median gender pay gap was 7.3%.
After being pushed, she added: “In 2021-2022, we reported a gender pay gap of 5.9% and in 2022-2023, we reported a pay gap of 7.3%.
“But there are really specific reasons why a pay gap will move and I think it is really important that we understand that.
“Tim [Davie] has talked a lot today about our apprenticeship programme. We find our apprenticeship cohort will reflect a different diversity mix than our general population, and we actually report on all our pay gaps, not just gender. We report on other pay gaps as well.
“Of course, remember, most apprentices will come in at entry levels in a role, so when you are talking about a median pay gap and you are bringing more diversity at more entry levels, that median pay gap will increase.”
SNP MP John Nicolson then said: “On the question of the gender pay gap, you explained to the chair that it has increased.
“You said that that was because lots of younger and more junior people were moving in.
“However, it is worth pointing out that the pay gap has also increased among BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] people and LGBTQ+ people.
"It has increased in each of those groups; I see from your nods that you are confirming that.”
Labour MP Julie Elliott further asked the BBC executives about open cases over equal pay claims.
She said: “Last June, you told us there were eight equal pay cases open internally in the BBC. What is the number now?”
Tavaziva responded: “That is correct. Last year, we said there were eight equal pay cases. We currently have 17 pay cases open, which is one in 1000 employees; we have 17,000 employees at the BBC.”
Tavaziva added that 11 of those 17 pay cases were about equal pay, and none of them were among the eight cases which were open the previous year.
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