B6 - Effectiveness of the Labour Reforms

Question 1

during the second world war many people…

Answer 1

…became aware of the social problems that existed in Britain for the first time and the social impact of the war removed class barriers and increased state dependency

Question 2

what did William Beveridge recommend?

Answer 2

William Beveridge recommended a social security system that would be comprehensive, universal, contributory, non means tested and compulsory in order to tackle the ‘five giants’ of poverty.

Question 3

what were the five giants of poverty?

Answer 3

1. want
2. disease
3. squalor
4. ignorance
5. idleness

Question 4

what did the National Insurance Act 1946 do?

Answer 4

provided comprehensive insurance for sickness, unemployment and maternity. This act was introduced to cover for most eventualities.

Question 5

how did the NIA improve the lives of the British people?

Answer 5

This significantly improved the lives of the British people because it ensured that everyone had to contribute towards this insurance scheme and therefore would be entitled to receive benefits regardless of their wealth, age or gender.

Question 6

limitations of the NIA

Answer 6

However, this act arguably did not go far enough in meeting the needs of the British people because a person needed to make 156 weekly contributions in order to be granted the benefits. This meant that many people who needed support were not yet eligible.

Question 7

what did the National Assistance Act 1948 do?

Answer 7

Labour also introduced the National Assistance Act 1948 to aid the most vulnerable in society such as single mothers and the homeless. It was designed as a “safety net” to meet those not adequately catered for by the NIA.

Question 8

how did the NAA help to improve the lives of the British people?

Answer 8

This was clearly effective in meeting the needs of the British people as it provided a safety barrier for those most susceptible to falling into poverty. It protected people from all classes from the cradle to the grave.

Question 9

limitations of the NAA

Answer 9

although the National Assistance Act 1948 was means tested so the amount received was based on the income that the person claiming it had ultimately going against the Beveridge Report

Question 10

NI Industrial Injuries Act

Answer 10

the National Insurance Industrial Injuries Act 1946 meant the government gave compensation for all injuries that happened at work and women were paid the same as men for the first time

Question 11

what did the introduction of the NHS mean?

Answer 11

The introduction of the NHS in 1948 helped to meet the specific health needs of the British people because for the first time in British history healthcare was universal, comprehensive and free at the point of use.

Question 12

how did the NHS improve the lives of the British people?

Answer 12

The introduction of the NHS without doubt helped to meet the needs of the British people as any person no matter what social class they belonged to could now seek health care and medication without worrying about cost.

Question 13

what did the NHS allow everyone to access?

Answer 13

The NHS allowed everyone to access care form GPs, specialists and dentists as well as spectacles, false teeth and maternity services. In the first year of the NHS, 8 million dental patients were treated, and 5 million pairs of spectacles were issued.

Question 14

limitations of the NHS

Answer 14

However, charges were brought in for prescriptions, spectacles and dental treatment in 1951 and 1952 which undermined the basic principle of free health care for all so the NHS arguably did not meet the needs of the British people.

Question 15

expense of the NHS

Answer 15

the enormous expense of the NHS came as a shock and by 1950 it was costing £358 million a year, far outstripping the budgeted £140 million a year.

Question 16

evidence the NHS was improving public health

Answer 16

between 1946 and 1950 infant mortality rates fell 50% and childhood scourges like rickets and malnutrition were almost eliminated clearly showing the success of the reform in meeting the needs of the British people.

Question 17

why did the Labour govt pledge to improve living conditions?

Answer 17

after housing shortages were made even worse by the Blitz.

Question 18

Labour’s target for homes

Answer 18

The Labour government looked to defeat the giant of squalor by setting a target of building 200,000 homes a year

Question 19

how new homes improved the lives of the British people

Answer 19

This target was a clear attempt of the government to meet the British people’s needs as many of these homes would provide indoor sanitation and more living space which enabled families to live more comfortably.

Question 20

New Towns Act 1946

Answer 20

The New Towns Act 1946 was introduced in response to the large growth of the population and gave the government the power to decide where to build new towns and ensure they were pleasant to live in.

Question 21

limitations of the New Towns Act

Answer 21

However, these new towns were described as “concrete jungles” and lacked basic amenities such as pubs, cinemas and even shops. The houses were far from work and therefore did not fully meet the needs of the British people.

Question 22

what did the 1951 census reveal?

Answer 22

the 1951 census revealed that there were 750,000 fewer houses than there were households in Britain which was roughly the same level of homelessness as in 1931

Question 23

did Labour meet their target?

Answer 23

by 1951 Labour were averaging well over their 200,000 target and new council homes were often of a better quality with separate kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms ultimately defeating the giant of squalor.

Question 24

why was ignorance needing to be tackled?

Answer 24

war and evacuation severely disrupted education.

Question 25

what did the Education Act 1944 do?

Answer 25

The Education Act 1944 raised the school leaving age to 15 and introduced a 3-tiered school system of grammar, secondary modern and technical schools.

Question 26

how did the Education Act 1944 improve the lives of the British people?

Answer 26

This helped to meet the needs of the British people as it looked to ensure children left school with a good level of literacy which would hopefully lead them into a well-paid job.

Question 27

what was the 11+ exam?

Answer 27

Children would sit a test at 11 or 12 in Scotland which would determine what school they would attend. The “11+” exam was essentially an intelligence test and allocated a child’s school based on their performance.

Question 28

limitations of the 11+ exam

Answer 28

However, this did not go far enough to meet the needs of the British people as a child’s future was decided at the age of 11 which was far too young especially because children mature at different ages. The system also favoured middle class children whose parents could afford tutors to prepare them for the exam.

Question 29

although pupils attending secondary modern schools…

Answer 29

…had little chance of going on to higher education as their curriculum was dominated by non-academic subject like woodwork, gardening and needlework

Question 30

what became a right for the first time?

Answer 30

free secondary education for all

Question 31

during Labour’s first term in office…

Answer 31

35,000 teachers were trained under the one-year emergency training scheme which clearly met the needs of the British people.

Question 32

why did Labour tackle idleness?

Answer 32

to maintain the high employment rate created by the war

Question 33

what did Labour feel was the only way to ensure full employment?

Answer 33

taking over major privately run industries such as railways and mines and by using nationalisation Labour hoped they would be in more control over the economy.

Question 34

why was nationalisation arguably effective in meeting the needs of the British people?

Answer 34

as people were earning an income and were able to live comfortably. They managed to lower the level of unemployment to 2.5% which was below the 3% they thought they could achieve

Question 35

why is it not certain if credit can be given to Labour for full employment?

Answer 35

as most of the factors affecting unemployment were out of the government’s control such as the post-war boom and growing world demand

Question 36

why should Labour be credited for completing the welfare state structure and maintaining full employment?

Answer 36

Britain experienced bread and potato rationing, fuel shortages during the winter of 1947 and 30% devaluation of the pound

Question 37

overall…

Answer 37

the Labour reforms were effective in meeting the needs of the British people to a great extent as the state was providing a ‘safety net’ which protected all sections of society and all five giants were tackled effectively.