Viscountess, ASTORasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what percentage of women are employed in the money order department of the General Post Office; whether a new controller has recently been appointed; how many women were considered for this post; whether there were no suitable women for it either in the Post Office or in other departments; arid, if not, what steps is the Post Office taking to enable the women employed on the higher accounting duties to qualify for consideration for such posts?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI have been asked to reply to this question. The percentage of women employed in the money order department is rather more than 90 per cent. A new controller has recently been appointed who was considered to be the best qualified officer for the post. There was no woman in the Post Office who possessed in full the necessary qualifications, and the absence of Post Office experience would have been a disqualification for women in other departments. The question of extending the scope of employment of women in the higher accounting duties of the Post Office is one which will be borne in mind as opportunities occur.