§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent women now have employment rights equal to those of men in the water industry; and how many (a) women and (b) men are employed in this field.
§ Mr. Giles ShawUnder its joint agreements with the trade unions the water industry subscribes fully to the 55W principles of equal opportunity for all employees regardless of sex (or of marital status). The numbers of women and men employed in the industry at 31 March 1982—the latest date at which the relevant figures are available—are as follows:
Category Women Men Total Chief officers 0 99 99 Senior staff 2 467 469 Non-manual staff 8,972 24,748 33,720 Manual workers 1,359 27,779 29,138 Craft workers 0 5,719 5,719 Others 64 246 310 Total 10,397 59,058 69,455