HC Deb 20 December 1971 vol 828 cc252-3W
Mr. Bishop

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail in the OFFICIAL REPORT what proposals in the report, Fair Deal for the Fair Sex, details of which are in his

Recommendation number Recommendation on which action has been taken
1 Electors overseas on business (and their spouses) to be entitled to vote by proxy.
5 Damages awarded to widows under Fatal Accidents Acts: courts not to take account of remarriage or prospects of remarriage of the widow of the deceased.
6(b) Damages awarded under Fatal Accidents Acts: abolition of court's power to control widow's share.
11 Attachment of earnings order to be recorded on P45 tax form. (Alternative approach in Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 requiring debtors to notify court of changes of employment.)
12 Payment of maintenance order to be made by post.
15 Damages for adultery to be abolished.
16–22 Some of the recommendations concerning property in marriage were overtaken by the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970. The Law Commission are at present studying the whole field of family property law, and have recently published a working paper on the subject.
23 Women not to be required to give marital status when signing a deed or being a party to litigation.
24* Married women to be treated for tax purposes as if single. (Earned income only—with effect from 1972–73.)
27* Women not to be required to be in full-time employment or completely incapacitated as a condition of claiming housekeeper allowance. Relief should be available on the same terms to both sexes. (Where there are resident children housekeeper allowance has been largely superseded by additional personal allowance.)
28* Husband's gross income to be considered when maintenance is awarded.
29 Aggregation of children's income with that of parents to be abolished.
31* Post-war credits to be payable to women at same age as men (all post-war credits to be paid out irrespective of age in 1972).
* Indicates implemented in part.

In addition, legislation is to be introduced to provide in England and Wales for equal rights of guardianship over their children by husband and wife (recommendation 10) and legislation on affiliation proceedings (recommendations 13 and 14, which the Government accept) has been introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dame Joan Vickers). Consideration continues to be given to other recommendations.