– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 15 October 1946.
Mr John Edwards
, Blackburn
—To ask the Chancellor of the exchequer whether any decision has yet been reached on the abolition of the marriage bar in the Civil Service.
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
Might I, Mr Speaker, with the leave of the House, be allowed to give a reply to a Question which I know is of considerable public interest and which was not reached, namely. Question No. 75?
The answer is: Yes, Sir. His Majesty's Government have decided that the marriage bar in the Home Civil Service shall henceforth be abolished. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement on certain points of detail arising out of this decision.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
On a point of Order. Who is the judge of the importance of a Question, Mr. Speaker? I have two Questions on the Order Paper which have not been reached and which, in my opinion, are much more important than the one which has just been answered by the Chancellor.
Mr Douglas Clifton Brown
, Hexham
We all think that our own Questions are the most important, but the judge in this respect is the Minister concerned, with my permission.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
With great respect, Sir, why should one Question be answered to the detriment of a hundred others?
Mr Douglas Clifton Brown
, Hexham
It has been the custom of this House for I do not know how many years. It is one of our rules.
Mr David Gammans
, Hornsey
Can the right hon. Gentleman say why this is restricted to the Home Civil Service and why it is not extended to the Colonial Civil Service as well?
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will read the statement I am circulating. I think that any question such as that which he has in mind could be more conveniently addressed to the Minister directly concerned.
Mr William Brown
, Rugby
Will the circulated answer cover the incidental effect of this decision—upon which I think the Government are to be congratulated—upon the marriage bar and superannuation arrangements in the public service?
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
Superannuation is a large issue, and I think the hon. Gentleman had better put a separate Question on that point.
Mr Evelyn Walkden
, Doncaster
Can my right hon. Friend say whether the decision will include State servants or active school teachers employed by local authorities?
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
No, Sir, local authorities are not covered.
Mr Evelyn Walkden
, Doncaster
But they are State servants, all the same.
In future married women will not be ineligible by reason of their marriage for appointment to established posts in the Home Civil Service, and women who already hold such posts will not be required to resign on marriage. Married women who remain in the Service will be required to comply with the normal conditions and practices of their employment, including regular attendance, the working of overtime when necessary and the acceptance of liability to transfer both within the United Kingdom and outside it. Those who, on account of domestic responsibilities or otherwise are unable to comply with these conditions will not be retained in the Service.
The abolition of the marriage bar will take effect today. It will not give any right of reinstatement to women who have in the past been required to resign from the Civil Service on marriage. Marriage gratuities will be paid, as hitherto, to women who voluntarily resign from established Civil Service posts on marriage. The Government have decided to accept the recommendation of the National Whitley Council Marriage Bar Committee (Cmd. 6886) for improved maternity leave terms.
In order that married women shall not now be debarred from competing in the main open reconstruction competitions of the Home Civil Service, the Civil Service Commissioners have decided to extend until 1st January, 1947, the last date for applying in certain competitions for which the closing date was fixed at 1st September, 1946. They will publish forthwith a complete list of the competitions affected.
This statement refers to established posts in the Home Civil Service. The marriage bar will be retained in the Foreign Service. There are a few posts in the Home Service, closely analogous to posts in the Foreign Service, the holding of which involves residence overseas on representational duties. In this very limited field the possibility of retention on marriage will have to be examined on merits in relation to the facts of each individual case.
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The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
