The Government has promised to push forward plans to reduce wage inequality between men and women as new figures reveal the gender pay gap to be growing.

Minister for Women Harriet Harman said the pay gap between men and women was both unfair in principle and preventing women from fulfilling their opportunities at work.

Her remarks came after new figures showed the gap between male and female pay amongst managers across Britain has widened for the first time in 11 years.

A survey of more than 42,000 managers in every sector found women averaged £43,571 last year, while the men averaged £49,647.

The pay gap had been shrinking, from 13.6 per cent of earnings in 2003 to 11.8 per cent in 2005, but last year it widened to 12.2 per cent amongst managers - with the gap at director level widening from 20 per cent to 23 per cent.

A spokeswoman for the Government Equalities Office said: "The Minister for Women, Harriet Harman, acknowledged, when she set out her priorities in the Commons in July, that much more needs to be done to tackle unequal pay."

She continued: "Her priorities for women will include pressing forward with the Government's commitment to reduce the pay gap between men and women, which she has pointed out is both unfair in principle but also prevents women from fulfilling their opportunities at work."

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