HC Deb 02 March 1939 vol 344 c1476W
Mr. Astor

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether aggregation of the sexes in the Civil Service clerical grades was the direct result of Treasury administrative action, or became operative only after joint discussion and complete agreement with the staff side of the National Whitley Council?

Captain Wallace

The principle of aggregation in the Clerical Grades of the Civil Service was recommended for adoption by the Royal Commission on the Civil Service (1929–31), and was discussed in 1932–34 on a Joint Committee of official and staff representatives, the Staff Side of which was nominated by the Staff Side of the National Whitley Council and certain women's organisations. The committee reached complete agreement in favour of the principle, the detailed application of which was left to be worked out departmentally through appropriate machinery for joint discussion.