§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the protest of the National Association of Women Civil Servants against the discrimination made on the basis of sex in the recent new bonus granted; that the members of this association were not a party to the arbitration proceedings which resulted in this award; and whether it is possible to reopen the question to meet the claim of these women to equality of payment in this particular case?
Captain CoookshankThe reply to the first two parts of the Question is in the affirmative. General questions affecting the Civil Service are dealt with, by negotiation, and if necessary by reference to arbitration, through the Civil Service National Whitley Council, in accordance with the normal Whitley machinery. The National Association of Women Civil Servants is not now affiliated to the Staff side of the National Council, and accordingly have not been associated with either the negotiations or the arbitration proceedings on the Civil Service War Bonus. The claim recently presented to the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal by the Staff side of the National Council included a claim for equal rates of bonus for women and men, but on this point the tribunal derided against the claim. The Government are implementing the Award of the tribunal and I see no justification for reopening the matter.