§ Mr. FORRESTasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he can now define the decision of the Government with regard to the claim of women civil servants for equal opportunities as regards pay, status, and promotion?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI would refer the hon. Member to the statement on this subject which was made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on the 17th June last. The gist of this statement was that His Majesty's Government had carefully reviewed the recommendations of the Reorganisation Committee of the National Whitley Council and did not feel justified in varying them; that in the nature of things, those recommendations would only be tentative and that the Government would be prepared to review the situation afresh within a reasonable period of time, which in no case would exceed five years, and might be considerably less. The Prime Minister's statement was made in reply to a question on the subject of equal pay for men and women in the Civil Service, but applies equally to the provision of separate establishment lists for the promotion of men and women. As regards status, His Majesty's Government have adopted the recommendation of the Reorganisation Committee that within each class women should be given a status and authority identical with that accorded to men.