§ 37. Captain Sir IAN FRASERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will give an assurance that the adoption of the report of Committee F, which, inter alia, recommends that women should be given a fair field and no favour in the Civil Service, will not prejudice the fulfilment of undertakings given to ex-service men that they will have preference in appointment And promotion in the service?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Duff Cooper)There is no undertaking that ex-service men as such should be given a preference in the matter of promotion in the Civil Service. The criterion of promotion is merit. There is of course no intention of departing from the existing preference to ex-service men in the matter of employment in the Civil Service.
§ Sir I. FRASERIs not my hon. Friend aware that successive Governments, after expressions of opinion from successive Parliaments, have given sympathetic consideration—and have even taken action in the matter—to giving these men preference in raising them from one grade to another, and is not that a preference in promotion?
§ Mr. COOPERNo, Sir. In matters of promotion ex-service men have been given no preference over their fellow civil servants, except for merit, and that will 22 be the principle all round in dealing with them.