(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/65/41/42
Image Reference:0001
T H I S DOCUMENT IS T H E P R O P E R T Y OF H I S BRITANNIC M A J E S T Y ' S GOVERNMENT
Printed
for the War Cabinet.
March
1944.
SECRET.
Copy N o .
W . M . (44)
42nd Conclusions.
WAR
CABINET
42 (44).
CONCLUSIONS
of a Meeting of the War Cabinet
Annexe, S.W. 1, on Tuesday, 28th March,
held at 1 0 Downing
1 9 4 4 , at 1 0 p.m.
Street
T h e R i g h t H o n . W I N S T O N S. C H U R C H I L L , M . P . , P r i m e M i n i s t e r (in the
Chair).
Present:
T h e R i g h t H o n . C. R . A T T L E E , M . P . ,
L o r d P r e s i d e n t of t h e Council.
The Right Hon. ANTHONY EDEN, M.P.,
S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e for F o r e i g n
Affairs.
T h e R i g h t H o n . Sir J O H N A N D E R S O N ,
M . P . , Chancellor of the E x c h e q u e r .
The Right Hon. E R N E S T BEVIN, M.P.,
M i n i s t e r of L a b o u r a n d N a t i o n a l
Service.
The R i g h t H o n . OLIVER LYTTELTON,
M . P . , M i n i s t e r of P r o d u c t i o n .
The Right
H o n . LORD WOOLTON,
M i n i s t e r of R e c o n s t r u c t i o n .
T h e following were also p r e s e n t :
T h e R i g h t H o n . L O R D BEAVERBROOK,
L o r d P r i v y Seal.
The
Right
SINCLAIR,
Hon.
Bt.,
Sir
M.P.,
ARCHIBALD
Secretary
of
-State for A i r .
The R i g h t H o n . Sir STAFFORD C R I P P S ,
K . C . , M . P . , M i n i s t e r of A i r c r a f t
Production.
The R i g h t Hon. R. A. BUTLER, M.P.,
T h e R i g h t H o n . BRENDAN BRACKEN,
M . P . , M i n i s t e r of I n f o r m a t i o n .
T h e R i g h t H o n . J A M E S STUART,
P r e s i d e n t of the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n .
Joint
Parliamentary
Treasury.
The Right Hon. W . WHITELEY, M.P.,
Joint
Parliamentary
Treasury.
Secretariat
Secretary,
:
Sir EDWARD B R I D G E S .
M r . W . S. M U R R I E .
CONTENTS.
Subject.
Education Bill
f271861
Page.
188
M.P.,
Secretary,
/
Education
Bill.
The W a r Cabinet discussed t h e s i t u a t i o n w h i c h h a d arisen as
a result of the Government h a v i n g been defeated t h a t evening, by
(Previous
117 votes to 116, on a n a m e n d m e n t moved by M r s . CazaletReference:
K
e i r , M . P . , t o Clause 82 of the E d u c a t i o n Bill, t h a t the M i n i s t e r
W.M. (43)166th
of Education-, in a p p r o v i n g salary scales, should not differentiate
Conclusions,
between men a n d women solely on t h e g r o u n d s of sex.
Minute 3.)
The President
of the Board of Education
explained that
Clause 82 h a d been included in t h e Bill to meet the views of the
teachers. The Clause enabled t h e M i n i s t e r to secure t h a t the
r e m u n e r a t i o n p a i d to teachers w a s in accordance w i t h the scales
recommended by the B u r n h a m C o m m i t t e e s — i n d e p e n d e n t bodies
r e p r e s e n t i n g both teachers a n d local a u t h o r i t i e s . T h e result of the
a m e n d m e n t c a r r i e d a g a i n s t the G o v e r n m e n t w a s to p u t the M i n i s t e r
in a position in which he h a d to i n t e r f e r e w i t h t h e proceedings of
the B u r n h a m Committees to the e x t e n t of r e q u i r i n g them to fix
scales applicable equally to men a n d women. B o t h he a n d his
predecessors h a d always avoided a n y interference w i t h the p r o ­
ceedings of the B u r n h a m Committees,, on the g r o u n d t h a t bodies
of t h i s k i n d m u s t have complete freedom to reach t h e i r own
decisions.
I t w a s clear t h a t t h e s u p p o r t e r s of the amendment, a n d in
p a r t i c u l a r the T o r y R e f o r m G r o u p , h a d seized the o p p o r t u n i t y of
r a i s i n g t h e question of equal p a y on Clause 82 of t h e E d u c a t i o n Bill
because they saw no prospect of r a i s i n g it a t a n y other time. H e
h a d m a d e the seriousness of t h e s i t u a t i o n p l a i n to the H o u s e so t h a t
those who voted for the a m e n d m e n t could not be i n a n y doubt as to
the consequences of the vote.
T h e P r e s i d e n t a d d e d t h a t , from the p o i n t of view of a d m i n i s ­
t r a t i o n , i t would be possible to omit the Clause altogether from the
Bill w i t h o u t any e m b a r r a s s m e n t .
The Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs
agreed t h a t the
P r e s i d e n t of the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n h a d so h a n d l e d t h e s i t u a t i o n
t h a t none of the members p r e s e n t could have failed to realise the
i m p l i c a t i o n s of a vote a g a i n s t the Government. H i s impression
w a s t h a t after the vote there h a d been a change in feeling among
those members who h a d s u p p o r t e d t h e amendment, a n d a n a t t e m p t
h a d been m a d e to suggest t h a t t h e G o v e r n m e n t should n o t t r e a t the
m a t t e r as one of confidence, b u t should consider, w h e t h e r they m i g h t
not acquiesce in the decision of t h e House. H e h a d m a d e i t clear
t h a t , while the Government accepted the proposal to r e p o r t progress,
he could give no u n d e r t a k i n g whatsoever as t o the G o v e r n m e n t s
attitude.
The Prime Minister
p o i n t e d o u t t h a t the Government were
c o m m i t t e d to formidable m i l i t a r y o p e r a t i o n s in the n e a r f u t u r e .
T h i s i n c i d e n t m i g h t well have a most d a m a g i n g effect on opinion
abroad, a n d it w a s essential t h a t p r o m p t measures should be t a k e n
to m a k e i t clear beyond any doubt t h a t the Government h a d the full
s u p p o r t of P a r l i a m e n t . T h e g r e a t m a j o r i t y of members were w i t h
t h e Government, and, if the issue w a s t r e a t e d as a major one of
confidence, he w a s sure t h a t the effect would be s a l u t a r y .
The Lord President
of the Council said t h a t the s i t u a t i o n
w h i c h h a d arisen w a s the c u l m i n a t i o n of a course of irresponsible.
conduct p u r s u e d by c e r t a i n members of the House. H e fully
endorsed w h a t the P r i m e M i n i s t e r h a d said.
The Minister of Labour and National Service agreed t h a t the
question m u s t be t r e a t e d as a m a j o r issue of confidence. A n y sign
of weakness on the p a r t of the Government would have the worst
possible effect on i n d u s t r i a l relations.
H e agreed w i t h the
P r e s i d e n t of the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n t h a t it would be d i s a s t r o u s to
d e p a r t from the p r i n c i p l e of non-interference w i t h the decisions of
i n d e p e n d e n t t r i b u n a l s on w a g e questions.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer
p o i n t e d o u t t h a t the d e p u t a ­
t i o n w h i c h he h a d received in the previous week on the subject of
equal p a y h a d not pressed for t h e i m m e d i a t e a p p l i c a t i o n of the
p r i n c i p l e , b u t only t h a t it should form a f e a t u r e of t h e p o s t - w a r
Civil Service.
F u r t h e r discussion showed complete a g r e e m e n t t h a t the
P r e s i d e n t of the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n could have t a k e n no other line,
a n d t h a t the m a t t e r m u s t be t r e a t e d as a m a j o r issue of confidence.
T h e W a r C a b i n e t t h e n t u r n e d to t h e question of t h e p r o c e d u r e
to be a d o p t e d in the H o u s e . T h e r e w a s g e n e r a l assent to t h e view
t h a t no t i m e should be lost i n r e s t o r i n g t h e position. I t w a s felt,
however, t h a t i t would be a d v a n t a g e o u s to allow one d a y to elapse
in order to enable members w h o were out of London to r e t u r n .
The President
of the Board of Education
p o i n t e d out t h a t , as
a result of the p r o p o s e d procedure, a t least one day of those set
aside for the C o m m i t t e e Stage of t h e E d u c a t i o n Bill would be lost.
H e w a s most a n x i o u s t h a t , if a t all possible, the Committee S t a g e
should be completed by E a s t e r .
I t w a s a g r e e d t h a t the possibility of s i t t i n g for a n e x t r a day
for t h i s p u r p o s e should be borne i n m i n d .
T h e W a r C a b i n e f s conclusions w e r e as follows :—
(1) T h e line t a k e n by the P r e s i d e n t of the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n
in d e a l i n g w i t h M r s . C a z a l e t - K e i r ' s a m e n d m e n t w a s
cordially endorsed.
(2) A t the m e e t i n g of the H o u s e on t h e following day,
W e d n e s d a y , the 2 9 t h M a r c h , t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r would
m a k e a s t a t e m e n t e m p h a s i s i n g t h a t the G o v e r n m e n t felt
t h a t a t t h i s serious stage of t h e w a r there m u s t be no
doubt of t h e s u p p o r t w h i c h they enjoyed from t h e
H o u s e of Commons. T h e r e would therefore have to be
a n a l t e r a t i o n in G o v e r n m e n t business.
(3) T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r ' s s t a t e m e n t would proceed to i n d i c a t e
the p r o c e d u r e to be followed w h e n the Committee Stage
of the Bill w a s resumed on t h e following clay, T h u r s d a y ,
t h e 30th M a r c h . T h e G o v e r n m e n t would t h e n oppose
the M o t i o n t h a t the Clause, as amended, should stand
as p a r t of the Bill, a n d t h i s w o u l d be t r e a t e d as a vote
of confidence. I n the same way, w h e n the R e p o r t Stage
of the Bill w a s reached t h e G o v e r n m e n t would move to
restore t h e Clause as i t o r i g i n a l l y stood i n the Bill.
T h i s also would be t r e a t e d as a vote of confidence. A f t e r
the P r i m e M i n i s t e r ' s s t a t e m e n t h a d been made, the
Secretary of S t a t e for F o r e i g n Affairs would move the
a d j o u r n m e n t of the H o u s e .
(4) T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r , the L o r d P r e s i d e n t of t h e Council,
the S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e for F o r e i g n Affairs, the P r e s i d e n t
of the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n a n d the J o i n t Chief W h i p s
w e r e i n v i t e d t o settle t h e t e r m s of the d r a f t s t a t e m e n t
r e f e r r e d to in (2) a n d (3).
(5) T h e J o i n t Chief W h i p s were invited to t a k e stejas to
ensure a full a t t e n d a n c e i n the House on T h u r s d a y , the
30th M a r c h .
(6) -The P r i m e M i n i s t e r , the L o r d P r e s i d e n t of the Council,
the S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e for F o r e i g n Affairs a n d t h e
P r e s i d e n t o f the B o a r d of E d u c a t i o n would speak on
behalf of the Government i n t h e Debate on T h u r s d a y ,
the 30th M a r c h .
Offices of the War Cabinet, S.W.
29th March, 1944. 1,