HC Deb 03 March 1937 vol 321 cc375-6W
Mr. Astor

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many civil servants have applied to be retained in the Civil Service after marriage since the passing of the Order in Council of 12th June, 1934, on this subject, and the numbers and ages and Departments of those whose applications have been granted and refused?

Lieut.-Colonel Colville

Nine established women civil servants (including in the case of scientific staff persons under the Federated Superannuation Scheme for Universities) have made formal application for retention on marriage since the passing of the Order in Council of 12th June, 1934. Of these applications four have been granted and five refused. The women whose applications were granted were serving in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (two

1934. 1935. 1936.
Air Ministry … … None … Nine cases, acreage varying from 245 to 496. 18 cases, acreage varying from eight to 735.
War Office … … None … one case, acreage 460 Six cases, acreage varying from one to 272.

In regard to the second and third parts of the question it has been judicially decided that the Lords Lieutenant or the Deputy Lieutenants under Section 23 of the Defence Act, 1842, have had placed upon them not a judicial function but an executive or administrative function, intended to secure that the powers of the Act are not recklessly exercised. These officers have to be reasonably satisfied by the evidence that the Department may put before them that the case is one where necessity or expediency requires the taking of the land. The owner of the land has no right to be heard on this question; it cannot be supposed that it was the intention that a question of policy, possibly vital to the defence of the

cases) and in the Board of Education and National Savings Committee respectively. Their ages were in three cases between 40 and 45 and in one case 28. The women whose applications were refused were serving in the Inland Revenue (two cases) and in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Patent Office respectively. Their ages in four cases were between 25 and 28, and in one case about 40.