Parliament's Health Committee has released a report on the Care and Support Worker (Pay Equity) Settlement Bill with a recommendation that it be passed with amendments.

The bill - which has since given a third reading in Parliament - will implement certain provisions of the Care and Support Workers (Pay Equity) Settlement Agreement which was made between the Crown, Crown agencies and several unions on 2 May 2017.

The main purposes of the agreement were to address historical inequities and achieve pay equity in the care and support sector.

The agreement is conditional both on Cabinet approval of the settlement and on the enactment of legislation. Cabinet approved the settlement on 18 April 2017.

The legislation will come into force on 1 July 2017. Because of the timeframe for reporting to Parliament, the committee has prepared recommended amendments in a draft Supplementary Order Paper which it says it hopes the Minister will table in the House.

The bill was referred to the committee on 25 May 2017 with submissions closing on 29 May 2017. It received 28 submissions, most of which it invited from targeted organisations. The committee heard 16 oral submissions.