5. Miss Wardasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is considering establishing an adequate pension scheme for the unestablished staff of the foreign service.
§ Mr. EdenOne of the unsatisfactory features of the present staffing arrangements for the subordinate ranks of the foreign service is the large number of posts which are unestablished and therefore unpensionable. As a result of the reform of the foreign service it is hoped to include a number of these posts among those which are established and pensionable. It will, however, always be necessary to rely to a considerable extent on unestablished and locally recruited staff and I am therefore considering, with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what finan- 1879 cial arrangements it will be possible to make to enable such staff to receive suitable financial treatment at the end of their service to the Government.
Viscountess AstorAre the reforms in the Foreign Office to be wide and democratic enough to allow women in?
6. Miss Wardasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what new financial proposals are under consideration for the foreign service.
§ Mr. EdenThe financial proposals now under consideration for the foreign service are those which arise from the scheme of reform set out in Command Paper 6420 and approved by this House on 18th March last year. These proposals depend for their realisation upon the reorganisation of the foreign service which cannot be fully completed until after the war.
Miss WardWill my right hon. Friend give an assurance that he will get generous treatment for the foreign service from the Treasury?
§ Mr. EdenThat seems a question that should hardly be addressed to me. I can only say that I will do my best, and I know that my right hon. Friend will help me.