HC Deb 23 October 1967 vol 751 cc362-3W
58. Mr. Blaker

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reservations were made by Her Majesty's Government when acceding to the United Nations Convention on the status of women.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

Reservations relating to certain dependent territories mainly covered jury service, and the employment and remuneration of women in the Civil Service. Those relating to the United Kingdom itself covered succession to the Crown, service in the armed forces and Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service, some aspects of representation in the House of Lords and certain offices of a largely ceremonial nature. We also reserved the position generally as regards the application of the Convention to Rhodesia and Aden. The full text of the reservations is as follows: Article III is accepted subject to reservations, pending notification of withdrawal in any case, in so far as it relates to:

  1. (a) succession to the Crown;
  2. (b) certain offices primarily of a ceremonial nature;
  3. (c) the function of sitting and voting in the House of Lords pertaining to holders of hereditary peerages and holders of certain offices in the Church of England;
  4. (d) recruitment to and conditions of service in the armed forces;
  5. (e) Jury service in the Bahamas, Grenada, the Isle of Man and Montserrat, as well as in the Kingdom of Tonga;
  6. (f) the employment of married women in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service and in the Civil Service of Northern Ireland, Antigua, Fiji, Grenada, Hong Kong, St. Lucia and St. Vincent;
  7. (g) remuneration for women in the Civil Service of Gibraltar, Hong Kong and Seychelles, as well as of the Protectorate of Swaziland;
  8. (h) the post of Bailiff of Guernsey;
  9. (i) in the State of Brunei, the exercise of the royal powers, jury service or its equivalent and the holding of certain offices governed by Islamic Law.
The United Kingdom reserves the right to postpone the application of this Convention in respect of women living in the Colony of Aden, having regard to the local customs and traditions. Further, the United Kingdom reserves the right not to apply this Convention to Rhodesia unless and until the United Kingdom informs the Secretary-General of the United Nations that it is in a position to ensure that the obligations imposed by the Convention in respect of that territory can be fully implemented.

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