7. Miss CAZALETasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he proposes to reserve all appointments in the administrative and executive classes of the Dominions Office to men only; and whether he will consider obtaining assistance from qualified women officials in dealing with such 1479 problems as those connected with nationality, migration, marriage, and pension in which women throughout the Empire have a special interest and have shown their deep concern?
Mr. M. MacDONALDAs regards the first part of the question, appointments on the administration establishments of the Dominions Office, which is a joint one with that of the Colonial Office, are reserved to men only. There are no executive class appointments in the Dominions Office. As regards the second part of the question, migration is the only one of the matters mentioned with which the Dominions Office is directly concerned. In this regard the Society for the Oversea Settlement of British Women has since the War been recognised as to all intents and purposes the Women's Branch of the Oversea Settlement Department of the Dominions Office, and the chairman of the Executive Committee of the society holds an appointment in the Department. I would also mention that there is a woman member, on the Oversea Settlement Board, and that there have always been at least two women members on the Oversea Settlement Committee.