Party progress Government changes for a fairer country

♦ ‘Parity of esteem’

The Health and Social Care Act of 2012 put mental health on a par with physical health, and hoped to ensure that by 2020 there is a “parity of esteem” between the two. This means equal funding, increased access to care and treatment, and an improvement in the quality of care for those who have mental health issues.

♦ Gender pay gap reports

The Equality Act in 2010 made it illegal for employers to pay people performing the same roles – or of the same value – a different wage. New regulations on gender pay inequality, and the need for firms with more than 250 staff to report it, came into effect in 2017. Those results were published by over 10,000 companies this year.

♦ Same sex marriage

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act in 2013 was brought in to allow couples of the same sex to marry in both civil and religious ceremonies for the first time in the UK.