A LOCAL politician has welcomed new statistics showing the gender pay gap in Scotland has fallen to a record low.

It comes after figures, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, showed the pay gap fell from 3% in 2022 to 1.7% in 2023 - the lowest since the series began in 1997.

The survey also shows full-time women's weekly pay in the country rose to 10.6% over the year.

Welcoming the news, East Renfrewshire's MP Kirsten Oswald said: “The new statistics from the ONS show Scotland continues to have a lower gender pay gap than the UK, but there is still work to be done to close the gap completely.

“The Scottish Government has made real tangible progress in closing the gender pay gap despite employment law being reserved to the UK Government.

“The National Strategy for Economic Transformation sets out a programme of action for a fairer and more equal Scotland, including employers paying at least the real Living Wage, addressing pay and employment gaps, all of which are vital for tackling the cost of living crisis which can have a disproportionate impact on women."