§ 65. Mr. RENDALLasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the women in the Civil Service consider that reorganisation has been used as a cover to grade their work lower than that of the men; that it is felt that the removal of women from mixed branches has taken place in order to obviate comparisons of the grading of men and women: and that the changing of the personnel of the official side of the Savings Bank grading committee when women's branches was under discussion was effected with the same purpose; and 1928 whether, in view of the dissatisfaction as to the position of women in the service shown by all the women's organisations in the country, he will appoint a small independent Committee to examine and report on the accusations of unfair grading?
Mr. YOUNGThere is no foundation for the suggestions in the question that work is being graded differently according to the sex of the officer who will perform it, or that staffs have been moved with that object in view. As regards the women's branches of the Savings Bank, I understand that the changing of personnel referred to involved the replacing of two men by one woman and one man, who were regarded as specially qualified by their experience to deal with any questions which might arise. I am not prepared to adopt the proposal made in the last part of the question.