10. Question No. 10—Public ServiceJAMIE STRANGE (Labour—Hamilton East) to the Minister for the Public ServiceQuestion No. 10—Public Service10. JAMIE STRANGE (Labour—Hamilton East) to the Minister for the Public Service: What updates has he received on the progress of pay equity settlements?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister for the Public Service): Since the 2020 amendment to the Equal Pay Act 1972 which created a practical and accessible process for making a pay equity claim 39 claims have been raised and 10 claims have been settled. These claims have come from a range of sectors including health education corrections the funded sector local government and the private sector. The 10 settled claims have corrected the pay of over 110000 employees with the average pay correction being 32.4 percent. I meet quarterly with the pay equity task force and unions to monitor the progress of the pay equity claims and at our last meeting on 4 May this year there were 29 active pay equity claims at different stages of completion.Jamie Strange: What pay equity claims are currently in progress for the public sector?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Currently there are 20 active pay equity claims in progress across the public sector. These claims include but aren't limited to Te Whatu Ora nurses teachers Public Service—administration and clerical—midwives and education therapists. The majority of the active pay equity claims in the public sector are on track. Since the gender pay gap action plan was launched in 2018 and the Equal Pay Act was amended the gender pay gap in the Public Service has fallen from 12.2 percent in 2018 to 7.7 percent in 2022 and since Kia Toipoto was launched in 2021 the Māori pay gap has fallen from 8.3 percent in 2021 to 6.5 percent in 2022 demonstrating the effect of taking positive action to reduce pay gaps including through pay equity.Jamie Strange: What pay equity claims are currently in progress for the funded sector?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: In 2020 the Government approved a framework for the oversight and support of funded sector pay equity claims. The funded sector framework supports employers and claimants in the funded sector to get advice and support in working their way through a pay equity claim while preserving the rights and responsibilities of their employer and employee relationship. Currently there are nine active pay equity claims in progress across the funded sector. These include NGO social service workers general practice education programme or general practitioner trainees kindergarten administration kindergarten teacher-aides kindergarten cooks Kōhanga Reo care and support workers in the health and disability sector care and support front-line managers and community midwives.Jamie Strange: What are the next steps in the pay equity claims space?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The pay equity task force will continue to support the efficient and effective resolution of pay equity claims across the system. The team will continue to work with unions and stakeholders to build capability in the pay equity process deliver education and resources and look at sustainable and effective ways to review and maintain the pay equity process. Achieving pay equity will allow women to better support themselves and their whānau and save for their retirements. It will give families more choice to participate in paid work and balancing family roles. This Government is committed to paying employees what they are worth and fully utilising their skills and the work being done in the pay equity space recognises that.