60s - Liberalising Legislation

Question 1

What are Private Members Bills?

Answer 1

An opportunity for a backbencher or individual MP to introduce legislation for Parliament to discuss and potentially pass.

Question 2

What was Labour’s manifesto’s approach towards liberalising legislation and the law?

Answer 2

They did not set out to liberalise society, and Labour leaders were fairly conservative and suspicious of change. They favoured ‘expert witnesses’ and a rational approach to the law.

Question 3

What event gave the anti-hang campaign a boost?

Answer 3

The hanging of Ruth Ellis.

Question 4

What had the Conservatives done in 1957 that preceded certain legislation?

Answer 4

They had reduced the number of offences that was punishable by the death penalty by approximately half.

Question 5

What did Sydney Silverman do?

Answer 5

Put forwards a PMB for total abolition of the death penalty.

Question 6

What was instated in 1965 and then in 1969?

Answer 6

The abolishment of the death penalty was trialled in 1965 for 5 years and made permanent in 1969.

Question 7

What was passed in 1967 for the judicial system?

Answer 7

The beating of prisoners was banned.

Question 8

What was passed in 1967 concerning juries?

Answer 8

Instead of a unanimous, 12-man jury decision it was changed to a 10-man majority vote could count as a successful result.

Question 9

What was the lack of effect of the abolition of hanging?

Answer 9

It failed to reduce the number of violent crimes.

Question 10

What were the acceptable grounds for reform before the 1969 Divorce Reform Act?

Answer 10

One party had to provide proof of infidelity on the part of another person.

Question 11

What did the 1969 Divorce Reform Act allow for?

Answer 11

‘No Fault Divorce’ following the ‘irretrievable breakdown of a marriage’. This was on the condition of living apart for 2 years and both parties consenting or living apart for 5 years and one party consenting.

Question 12

What was the change in divorce rate from 1950 to 1970?

Answer 12

In 1950 it was less than 2 divorces per 1000 couples, then it was nearly 10 per 1000 in 1970.

Question 13

How many illegal abortions were performed annually before the Abortion Act?

Answer 13

100,000 to 200,000, with 35,000 women admitted to hospital with complications.

Question 14

From 1958 to 1960, how many women died due to failed abortions?

Answer 14

82

Question 15

What campaign lobbied for abortion reform, but what was the deciding factor?

Answer 15

The Abortion Law Reform Association, but the 1962 Thalidomide reform did more to sway public opinion.

Question 16

What campaign was set up to oppose abortion reform?

Answer 16

1966 Society for the Protection Of The Unborn Child.

Question 17

What did the 1967 Abortion Act enable?

Answer 17

Termination up to 28 weeks with the only necessary justification being ‘mental suffering’ on the part of the mother.

Question 18

What was the increase in abortions from 1960 to 1970?

Answer 18

4 per 100 to 17.6 per 100.

Question 19

In 1964, what did the Conservatives reject that was then passed under Labour?

Answer 19

They rejected the Wolfenden recommendation to legalise homosexuality.

Question 20

What did the 1967 Sexual Offences Act decriminalise?

Answer 20

Homosexual relations.

Question 21

What were the 3 conditions under which homosexuality was decriminalised?

Answer 21

If both partners gave consent
Both partners were over 21
Had to be in private

Question 22

What was the main limitation of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act?

Answer 22

‘In Private’ was interpreted as alone in the entire building so prosecution continued.

Question 23

About the 3 schooling systems, which attitude was mostly gone by the 1960s?

Answer 23

That the three schooling types were largely equal.

Question 24

What were the secondary modern pupils seen as?

Answer 24

Largely failures.

Question 25

Who was responsible for schooling and what did Labour do in Greater London?

Answer 25

The Local Education Authorities, and Labour established the first comprehensive schools in London.

Question 26

Who accelerated the growth of comprehensive schooling?

Answer 26

Tim Crosland’s promotion to Education Secretary - he was a large supporter of this.

Question 27

In 1964, what % of pupils were in a comprehensive school?

Answer 27

1 in 10 pupils.

Question 28

What was Circular 10/65?

Answer 28

All schools had to convert to comprehensives.

Question 29

By 1970, how many districts hadn’t converted to comprehensive schools?

Answer 29

8 authorities, and there were 1145 schools.

Question 30

By 1970 how many students were in comprehensive schools?

Answer 30

1 in 3.

Question 31

What did Wilson quote about comprehensive schools?

Answer 31

‘Grammar education for all’.

Question 32

What was the Robbins Committee?

Answer 32

Formed in 1961 in response to Br lagging behind France, Germany and the USA in students in science and technology.

Question 33

What replaced Colleges of Tech and what was the key difference?

Answer 33

Polytechnics, with the focus on teaching and not research.

Question 34

How many Colleges of Advanced Tech became full universities?

Answer 34

9, the most significant of which being the Royal College of Science becoming Strathclyde University.

Question 35

Which of the ‘new’ unis have I applied to?

Answer 35

Sussex.

Question 36

How many new polytechnics and universities were founded by 1968?

Answer 36

30 new polytechnics and 56 universities.

Question 37

What did new institutions allow for?

Answer 37

They made it possible to take a degree in town planning or architecture. This opened up higher education for those whose families hadn’t had anyone go to universities.

Question 38

What did Wilson say he wanted to be remembered for?

Answer 38

The OU, which combined his enthusiasm for education, modernisation and the ‘white heat of the new technology’.

Question 39

What did the OU offer?

Answer 39

High quality degree-level learning for those who couldn’t attend a traditional campus university.

Question 40

What did Labour announce in March 1963?

Answer 40

The ‘University of the Air’, which they promised to install if they were elected.

Question 41

Who was appointed to head the OU project following the 1964 Gen Elec?

Answer 41

Jamie Lee.

Question 42

When and where was the OU established?

Answer 42

1969 in Milton Keynes, enough students had enrolled in order to be fully operational by 1971.

Question 43

What mediums did they use for distance learning?

Answer 43

Radio and TV.

Question 44

What type of people did the OU attract?

Answer 44

The mature, women and disadvantaged.

Question 45

By 1980, how many students did it have and which universities did it outperform in degrees issued?

Answer 45

70,000 and more degrees than Oxbridge/year.