§ 5. Mr. Saltasked the Minister of Labour how many men in Government Departments have been reserved below the ages in industry employed in comparable occupations; and whether it is the intention of the Minister, in reviewing the Schedule of Reserved Occupations, to apply to Civil servants the same principle as is applied to industry?
§ Mr. BevinIn the light of the changes now being made, the whole matter is being reviewed by the Treasury, in conjunction with my Department.
§ Mr. SaltIs my right hon. Friend aware of the widespread feeling that there is unfair discrimination given to municipal and Civil servants, many of whom could be adequately replaced by women?
§ Mr. BevinI do not think there is anything unfair between the treatment of Civil servants and what is meted out to similar occupations in industry. In view of the fact that the whole of the reserved-occupation procedure is being reviewed for industry, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I thought that it was essential to have an investigation into the Civil Service, so that the changes outside and in should run concurrently.