§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the war bonus granted to females and persons under eighteen in the Civil Service is only half that granted to men; and, if so, will he state why the bonus granted to women is not similar in amount to that of the men?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe facts are as stated in the first part of the question. The payment of bonus to women at half the rates allowed to men follows the terms of the arbitrator's award to the Post Office staff last year, and it appears justified by reason of the fact that the majority of the men now serving in Government Departments have to maintain families out of their wages, whereas the majority of the women do not, and accordingly the increased cost of living falls more heavily on the men than on the women.