How successful were the Labour Reforms (1945-1951)

Question 1

Which giant was identified as being the main one to tackle in the Beveridge Report?

Answer 1

Want

Question 2

What did the 1946 National Insurance do?(want)

Answer 2

It extended the original 1911 National Insurance Act and set proceedings for a National Health Service (would be introduced in 1948).

Question 2

What did the 1942 Family Allowances Act do? (want)

Answer 2

The act paid a small amount of money to mothers with two or more children. The downside is that mothers of only one child struggled more financially.

Question 3

What did the 1946 Industrial Injuries Act do? (Want)

Answer 3

Compensation for injuries in the industrial work sector were to be paid for by the government and covered all workers.

Question 4

What did the 1948 National Assistance Act do? (Want)

Answer 4

Allowed people experiencing poverty to apply to National Assistance boards for help.

Question 5

What is a positive of the Family Allowances Act? (want)

Answer 5

More families struggling in poverty had an extra income which helped them to avoid poverty. This act was also paid to mothers which meant it would be used more for its genuine purpose.

Question 6

What is a positive of the National Insurance, Industrial Injuries and National Assistance act? (Want)

Answer 6

People were unlikely to experience poverty in times of need

Question 7

What is a negative of the Family Allowances Act? (want)

Answer 7

Only paid out for families with 2 or more children. Smaller families would receive no benefits and struggle much more. The amount paid out was also very small.

Question 8

What is a negative of the National Insurance Act? (Want)

(Hint: pension is mentioned, workers struggled)

Answer 8

Workers struggled to make ends meet. Amount paid was also under the poverty line and pension benefits were were not available for 10 years.

Question 9

What is a negative of the National Assistance Act? (Want)

Answer 9

Applying could be a humiliating experience

Question 10

What date did National Health Service start? (disease)

Answer 10

5th July 1948

Question 11

Why did the NHS nearly fail, and how was it saved? (disease)

Answer 11

-90% of doctors opposed it
-Aneurin Bevan was able to provide a way forward with a new pay scheme for doctors

Question 12

Before when did healthcare usually come with a cost? (disease)

Answer 12

Before 1948, with some workers being provided with a healthcare insurance scheme, but the vast majority was not.

Question 13

What is a positive of Disease?

Answer 13

the NHS is still running today, over 65 years later. This proved that the NHS was a success.

Question 14

What is another positive for Disease?

Answer 14

The whole population of the UK had free access to healthcare, which prevented many health care problems that stopped people achieving their full potential.

Question 15

What is a negative of Disease?

Answer 15

Always faced cost. This meant charges had to be introduced for things like false teeth and glasses in 1951 which went against the fundamental principle of the NHS being free. Caused outrage!

Question 16

What would improving education lead to? (ignorance)

Answer 16

It would improve the skill pool of the whole population.

Question 17

Primary school was compulsery, but secondary school was costly and varied. What happened to children of poorer backgrounds? (ignorance)

Answer 17

Pressured by their parents to leave school and bring home wages.

Question 18

What did the 1944 Education Act do? (ignorance)

(Hint: age)

Answer 18

Raised the school leaving age to 15 and stated that every child was to get secondary education. Just like the Family Allowances Act, this was introduced by the Coalition Government.

Question 19

What did R.A Butler want to do? (ignorance)

Answer 19

R.A Butler (minister of the Education Act), also wanted to create a 3 tier system of education, technical, grammar and education.

Question 20

In Scotland what were grammar/secondary schools known as? (ignorance)

Answer 20

Secondary = Junior Secondary
Grammar = Senior Secondary

Question 21

What did you need to do in order to get into a Grammar school? (ignorance)

Answer 21

Pass an entrance exam called the “11 +”.

Question 22

What is a positive of Ignorance?

Answer 22

Children were guarenteed an education until age 15, parents couldn’t pressure them to leave.

Question 23

What is another positive of Ignorance?

Answer 23

Some working class children would have been able to get into Grammar schools and benefitted from a higher education.

Question 24

What is a negative of Ignorance?

Answer 24

The government spent too mcuh money on grammar and secondary schools = higher quality education. Children who didn’t get into these establishments had an inferior education.

Question 25

What is another negative of Ignorance?

Answer 25

It was criticised that testing children as young as 11 was too early to decide their future. Wealthier people could afford a tutor to help their children pass the 11+.

Question 26

What did Labour promise in their election manifesto? (Squalor)

*Decentliving conditions

Answer 26

To provide enough new housing so that everyone in the country had decent living conditions

Question 27

How many houses were built in 1946? (Squalor)

Answer 27

55,400

Question 28

How many further houses were built by 1948? (Squalor)

Answer 28

280,000 - which exceded the governments target and were used as council houses

Question 29

How many houses were being built in 1951 by Labour? (Squalor)

Answer 29

Over 200,000

Question 30

What did the 1946 New Towns Act do? (Squalor)

Answer 30

14 new towns were built under this act, with aims to build well planned new towns to relieve overcrowding cities. All built in 1951.

Question 31

What is a positive of Squalor?

Answer 31

Labour was meeting its targets for house building menaing large parts of the population had much improved living conditions.

Question 32

What is another positive of Squalor?

(Key Word: New Towns)

Answer 32

New Towns act managed to reduce overcrowding in big cities.

Question 33

What is a negative of Squalor?

Answer 33

Homelessness was higher in 1951 than in 1939, meaning Labour had failed to provide enough housing.

Question 34

What is another negative of Squalor?

Answer 34

Some people felt that the new council houses destroyed any sense of community.

Question 35

What is a third negative of Squalor?

Answer 35

New towns could be seen as depressing since they lacked the character of big cities.

Question 36

In their 1945 election manifesto, what did Labour make clear? (Idleness)

(Hint: committed to something)

Answer 36

They were committed to a policy of “full employment” which meant that everyone who could work would have a job.

Question 37

Labour introduced a policy of nationalisation to achieve full employment. What did this mean? (Idleness)

(thegovernment would take over something)

Answer 37

The government would take over major industries and use the profits for the benefit of the country.

Question 38

By 1946, unemployment had only dropped to what number?

(Hint: There’s a comparison involved)

Answer 38

2.5% (In comparison, 2013 unemployment was over 8%). This meant the government had achieved full employment.

Question 39

What is a positive of Idleness?

Answer 39

Labour had achieved its election manifesto of full employment, which proved success in tackling the Giant of unemployment.

Question 40

What is another positive of Idleness?

Answer 40

Some jobs would have been created by nationalisation.

Question 41

What is a negative of Idleness?

Answer 41

Historians argue that the fall of unemployment had nothing to do with Labour.
-Post war boom took place = lots of private investments +building work.
-Money coming in from the USA under ‘Marshall aid’ which helped recover world’s economy.