COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT STAFF (Hansard, 3 February 1966)

§ BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS AND FOR THE COLONIES (LORD BESWICK)
My Lords, I understand from the Commonwealth Secretariat, first, that there are at present seven officers in grades designated as senior. Four senior appointments have still to be made; secondly, that so far no woman has been appointed to a senior post, although the Press Officer is a woman and so are all the personal secretaries and shorthand typists, of whom there are seven; thirdly, that selection of staff is made in accordance with the procedure and criteria laid down in paragraphs 33 to 38 of the Agreed Memorandum presented to Parliament as a White Paper (Cmnd. 2713), a copy of which I will send to the noble Baroness. I understand that every effort is made to ensure that all suitably-qualified persons, male or female, are given the opportunity to be considered and there is no bar on women being appointed. So far, no Commonwealth Government has nomi- 484 nated a woman for any of the remaining senior staff posts.

§ BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY
My Lords, I am certain that there is no antagonism to the appointment of women to these posts, but what we fear on our side is that it is really a question of forgetting that suitable women are available. What we wish to do, if we may, is to draw attention to this matter, because, after all, I am sure the Minister will agree with me that women in the Commonwealth would very much like to have a share in building up this new and important Commonwealth service—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS
Order!

§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF LONGFORD)
My Lords, I am sorry, but I think the noble Baroness has made her point without asking a question.

§ BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY
May I put a question? Is the Minister aware that there are many distinguished women in Commonwealth diplomatic and consular services, and in the U.N. services, who would be well qualified for this sort of position?

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, I understand the point of view of the noble Baroness, and personally I share it. But because we happen to be the host Government to the Secretariat, I am sure she would not wish us to appear to be taking any special position so far as the appointment of staff is concerned. Certainly I will see that the point of view which she has expressed is brought to the attention of the Secretary-General.

§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILL
My Lords, could my noble friend reveal to the House that all the underpaid and overworked members of the Secretariat are women? Could he see to it now that "the other sex" in the Commonwealth have some representation in the senior jobs?

§ LORD BESWICK
No, my Lords: I cannot give that undertaking, because we have not the direct power. We are one Government among 22. I am bound to say that if I were the Secretary-General, and a member of the British Government made representations in the sense just indicated by the noble Baroness, I 485 should feel entitled to say to the British Government: "Put you own house in order first".

§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY
My Lords, may I ask my noble friend, particularly as he is, I think, in sympathy with the general point of view, whether he ought to put forward the point of view, strongly held, that it really is most unfortunate that women are not even considered for the jobs? Is he aware that it is not only that women are not actually in top positions, but that they are not considered for them?

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, the position is that the persons who are considered usually have to come from the diplomatic service of the member countries. The fact of the matter is that there are not many women in the senior ranks of the diplomatic service either of this country or of the other Commonwealth countries.

§ LORD CARRINGTON
My Lords, I think there is a good deal of force in what my noble friend Lady Emmet of Amberley has said. Will the noble Lord draw the attention of the Secretary-General (if that is what he is called) of the Commonwealth Secretariat to what has passed in the House this afternoon?

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, I will certainly do that; indeed, I have already undertaken to do it. But again I feel, in fairness to the Secretary-General and to the other Commonwealth countries, that we should not appear to be taking a special place in this matter. As I have said, we are one of 22 Governments.