§ 64. Mr. SNOWDENasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that the Board of Control for the administration of the Mental Deficiency Act recently advertised for male and female inspectors who must be registered medical persons, and that the salaries offered were £400 for men and £350 for women; and, if so, will he explain why this difference of payment was made, seeing that the Board stated that there was no difference in the importance of the work of the men and women inspectors; if the first woman candidate offered the post refused it on account of this difference in salary; if the second candidate accepted it and then withdrew for the same reason; if the post is still unfilled; and if it has hitherto been the practice of Government Departments to pay medical officers the same salaries, whether men or women; and, if so, why this practice has been departed from in this case?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe salaries offered were £400 rising to £600, and £350 rising to £550. They were fixed by the Treasury at the rates at which it was believed suitable candidates could be obtained. At that time the Report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service had not been published, but the proposed salaries appear to comply with the recommendation of the Commission that, where the conditions of employment are approximately the same, the rates of pay should approximate to equality. The first two candidates to whom the post of female inspector was offered declined it on the ground of difference of salary, not because they thought it too small. The post has not yet been filled, but the matter is not at present urgent. There is no rule or practice requiring 1942 the salaries of men and women medical officers in the Government service to be the same.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs it not a fact that in practice the remuneration of women medical officers is the same as men medical officers?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am informed not, but I will inquire further into the point.
§ Mr. SNOWDENAre we to infer from the reply just given that the Treasury consider the services of women will not be equal in value to the services of the men, and is that the reason there is this difference in salary? The Report of the Royal Commission to which the right hon. Gentleman refers recommended equal pay for equal work.
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Treasury rule was stated by me. Rates were fixed by the Treasury at which it was believed suitable candidates could be obtained. That, I believe, is the practice of the Treasury. With regard to the second point, the work is approximately the same and the rates are approximately the same, but it cannot be said that the work is identical.
§ Mr. SNOWDENSeeing it is impossible to get women doctors at these rates of pay, will they now offer the women the same salary as the men?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am not sure what appointments have been made.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs my right hon. Friend aware that a great many distinguished women economists are opposed to the doctrine of equal pay for equal work, and think that it would result disastrously to the interests of women?
§ Mr. McKENNAI agree with what my hon. Friend says. For my own part, I should be ready to give equal pay for equal work, but I am not convinced the work is equal.