§ 93 Mr. GROVESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether he will be prepared to consider some special form of establishment for temporary typists and shorthand typists with removal of age limit or, failing this, what proposals he intends to make with regard to some sort of security of tenure;
31 (2) whether he will be prepared to consider some special form of establishment for those temporary typists and shorthand typists who desire to enter the permanent grades of typists and shorthand typists, respectively; and whether he is aware that such women at the present moment have to compete on equal terms with young girls straight from outside training schools;
(3) whether he is aware that temporary typists are expected, if they wish to become permanent civil servants, to pass an exacting examination in shorthand, although they are never allowed or expected to use shorthand in their daily duty as typists; whether he is aware that they have to compete in the same examinations with young girls who have spent the whole of their time studying at training schools; and whether he will be prepared to examine this question to see if it, is possible to dispense with this examination?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Ronald McNeill)Examinations have been held annually for some years at which temporary typists and shorthand typists have had opportunities of competing for established posts. One examination for each grade was held without an upper age limit, the remainder with an upper age limit of 22 and 40 respectively. As at present advised, I am unable to agree that any further facilities to enable these women to compete for established posts are called for, beyond the continuance of the normal competitions with the above age limits. It is not the fact that temporary women typists and shorthand typists entering for the established shorthand typist grade have to compete with girls fresh from outside training schools. It is only the examination for typists which is open to candidates who are not already serving in a Government department, and as at recent examinations all those candidates who reached the qualifying standard have been successful, the temporary staff have been in no way prejudiced by having to compete against girls straight from outside training schools. With regard to the first part of question No. 95, I should point out that shorthand is an alternative subject at the examination for appointment as typist.
§ Colonel DAYWill the right hon. Gentleman consider holding these examinations every six months instead of annually, in order to give the girls a better chance?