Allen & Overy (A&O) has been blasted by the chair of a UK parliamentary select committee for "exploiting" weaknesses in reporting requirements to avoid handing over partner gender pay figures.

A&O was the only magic circle firm that did not provide its 2016-17 partnership gender pay gap figures to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee after the committee wrote to Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer, Slaughter and May and A&O requesting the data.

The committee's chair, Labour MP Rachel Reeves, has now issued a statement alongside the publication of the firms' responses that accuses A&O of "dragging its feet" over the data, adding that it raises questions about the firm's commitment to its female associates.

Reeves said: "Allen & Overy can't even come clean on its partner data now. It's easy to talk the talk on diversity and inclusion but if a business is dragging its feet on providing even basic information about its gender pay gap, then it begs the question of how seriously it takes its responsibilities to valuing all its staff and how dedicated it is to committing to promote female associates to partner level."

She went on to add that the firm had been able to exploit "weaknesses in the reporting requirements" and that the committee would be making recommendations to ensure businesses take their responsibilities on fair pay seriously.

In the firm's response to the request for partner gender pay data – signed by senior partner Wim Dejonghe – A&O said it had found guidance about including partners in gender pay gap reporting "unhelpful", adding that it would "welcome further clarity". He added that without further guidance the firm has concerns about whether any published figures will provide "a fair comparison" with other firms.

A&O previously told Legal Week that it will provide the select committee with a gender pay gap figure including partners for the 2017-18 financial year by September. A spokesman said the firm had not yet decided whether it would release the data for the 2016-17 year.

CC and Linklaters published their gender pay gap data including partners earlier this year and provided it again to the committee, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May gave the committee the breakdown when asked.