HC Deb 10 May 1923 vol 163 cc2533-4
Mr. TURNER

I beg to present a petition signed by women employed as clerical workers who have served the State in His Majesty's Forces or in civil Departments, drawing attention to the fact that those temporary women clerks recently demobilised from or about to be dismissed from Government Departments have only been retained so long because of exceptional efficiency or because they have to maintain dependants, and yet for them there is now no provision for resettlement in those other spheres of professional labour wherein they would be fully maintaining themselves now had it not been for years devoted to the service of the State. The petitioners pray the House to devise means for the immediate relief of their unhappy condition and that of other unemployed women. The petitioners are officials of societies catering for women professional workers, signing on behalf of their members, who number between 400,000 and 500,000 men and women. My prayer is that God may bless all women and help these unemployed women.