HC Deb 17 June 1947 vol 438 cc1791-2
47. Mr. Ronald Chamberlain

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for reconsideration of the ruling under which the Treasury does not reckon service with the W.L.A. in determining length of service and seniority of temporary civil servants.

Mr. Dalton

This question was the subject of an agreed report of the Civil Service National Whitley Council, and I see no reason for reopening it.

Mr. Chamberlain

Is the Chancellor aware that the agreed report of the Whitley Council on redundancy of temporary staff decided that those men and women who had been in the Forces should have their complete service with their temporary service, and is it not, therefore, entirely a Treasury decision which has eliminated the Women's Land Army, and does he not think that this additional disability is extremely hard?

Mr. Dalton

My hon. Friend is misinformed. The agreed report was issued in July, 1945. It was agreed by both sides of the National Whitley Council, and we must reach decisions and hold firmly to them, otherwise our whole administrative system becomes chaotic.

Mr. Chamberlain

May I repeat the second part of my supplementary question, and ask the Chancellor whether that decision did not refer to men and women in the Services, so that it was a Treasury decision and not a Whitley Council decision that the Women's Land Army should be left out?

Mr. Dalton

No, Sir. The agreed report limited the area within which this privilege should be granted.