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Women are earning less than men in the department headed by the Conservative Equalities Minister.

The gap between women and their male counterparts at the Department for Education is more than £3,000 a year - despite a pledge by Nicky Morgan to close the gender pay gap.

The department’s own figures show its male civil servants earn £22.30 a hour on average but women £20.54.

Labour said this meant women staffers working a 37 hour week were £3,386 a year worse off than their male colleagues.

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In a speech last month Ms Morgan, the Education Secretary and Equalities minister, said bosses who failed to close the gender pay gap had “nowhere to hide.”

“In recent years we’ve seen the best employers make ground breaking strides in tackling gender inequality. But the job won’t be complete until we see the talents of women and men recognised equally and fairly in every workplace.

(Image: Joel Goodman)

“At the same time I’m calling on women across Britain to use their position as employees and consumers to demand more from businesses, ensuring their talents are given the recognition and reward they deserve,” she said.

Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: “This is deeply embarrassing for the Education Secretary who is also the government’s lead equalities Minister. If Nicky Morgan is unable to tackle the gender pay gap in her own department women what can she do.”

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesman said: “This government has gone further than ever before in tackling the gender pay gap.

"Only last month we unveiled a raft of measures requiring companies with more than 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap and we are extending that duty across the public sector.

“We have a world class civil service that is increasingly equal and more diverse than the majority of British employers.

"These figures show that we are closing the gender pay gap and increasing the numbers of women in senior roles in the DfE.

"There will always be more to do but we expect that trend to continue as we continue towards a truly equal workforce in all sectors.”