Orders of the Day — War Injuries (Compensation to Civilian Women.)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 25 November 1942.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Clement Attlee Mr Clement Attlee , Stepney Limehouse

They were extremely good speeches, but were delivered without that tone of intense bitterness which the hon. Lady showed. This matter does, naturally, arouse great feelings, and it is possible to take particular cases and make a very strong point about them, yet ignore a whole range of other matters which necessarily have to be taken into consideration. The claim here is that where men and women are doing the same service and suffer the same injuries, they should receive the same compensation. That is an appeal which comes very strongly to all of us, and I would like to say that when I looked into this matter and heard the deputation, I was strongly persuaded. I have striven most earnestly to see how this could be accomplished. I want to see this accomplished, but it is not so easy as one would imagine from the speeches we have heard. It has been based on the principle of equal injury, but the trouble is that we have systems in this country that are based on a different principle—the principle in which compensation has reference to the earnings of the persons injured. It is no good in the least saying that these things can be separated. There I think my hon. Friend the Member for West Fulham (Dr. Summerskill) corrected the hon. Member for Frome (Mrs. Tate) —