HC Deb 14 November 1944 vol 404 cc1776-7
23. Mr. Hynd

asked the Secretary of State for War what discrimination is made between men and women war correspondents; and for what reasons women correspondents are not given the same measure of recognition and facilities as the male correspondents.

Sir J. Grigg

I have nothing at present to add to the replies I gave my hon. Friends the Member for Abingdon (Sir R. Glyn) on 1st February, and the Member for Wallsend (Miss Ward) on 1st August, of which I will send my hon. Friend copies.

Mr. Hynd

Is the Minister aware that the discontent in this matter is growing very considerably; and has he had any representations from organisations representing women journalists?

Dr. Edith Summerskill

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a woman in Cairo, about whom I gave him particulars, and who has been sending information to papers in this country, had, in order to do so—and she is a British woman—to become attached to the United States Forces as a war correspondent?

Sir J. Grigg

I have not yet received the full facts about this particular case, so I cannot answer that question.

Dr. Summerskill

Is the Minister aware that I gave them to him about 10 months ago?

Sir J. Grigg

I have forgotten about the case and will have to refresh my memory.

Mr. Shinwell

The right hon. Gentleman gets it both ways.

Sir J. Grigg

Representations from two women's organisations have been received. As I explained in a supplementary answer on the last occasion when it was raised, there is no difference in treatment between women journalists attached to the British Forces and those attached to the Canadian and American Forces. It is merely a question of a name, and if, as I said then, the women's organisations concerned merely want the name changed without any other change in their facilities —if that makes any difference to their satisfaction, I will gladly consider it.

Mr. Hynd

Are we to understand from that answer that the only difference is the name and that it is not a question of facilities given either in practice or in the number of women correspondents allowed?

Sir J. Grigg

That is my information.

Commander Locker-Lampson

Is not ten months rather a long time for gestation, even for the War Office?

Sir J. Grigg

I was really trying to conceal the fact that I had forgotten about the particular case.