§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Minister of Pensions whether any women are holding posts above that of staff officer or higher executive in the Pension Issue Office; what is the reason for this limitation of higher pests for women in a Department which was originally almost entirely staffed by women, and which it was officially the intention to make a women's department; whether the work of the Ministry is segregated into men's and women's 819W branches; and, if so, whether all the work dealing with the administration of widows' and children's pensions has been allocated as more suitable to the women's Branches or, if allocated to a men's branch, has a higher executive woman to advise thereon?
§ Major TRYONThere is in the Pension Issue Office one woman's post carrying a salary above that of the staff officer and higher executive grades. On the reorganisation of that branch, following the Report of the Joint Committee on the Organisation of the Civil Service in 1920, the majority of the higher posts were assigned to men, but this does not preclude the appointment of a woman to a higher post should a vacancy for which she possesses the necessary qualifications occur. With re-
— Men. Women. Total. Ex-Service men in eluded in (c). Women's posts with basic salary over £400. Men's posts with basic salary over £400. Ex-Service men included in (f). (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) Sanctuary Buildings 850 159 1,009 741 Nil. 120 47 Pension Issue Office 454 1,112 1,566 445 1 16 7