Labour Reforms

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

• reword question
• Britain suffered during war - rich/poor killed/bombed/rationed
• 1942 - William Beveridge report identified 5 giants as causing the problems
• factors
• LOA

Question 2

Squalor

(5 facts, 2 positive, 4 negative)

Answer 2

• introduce factor
• chronic housing shortage post-war
• 70,000 homes destroyed by bombs
• organised by Bevan in Health Ministry
• prefabs built - 48,157,000 in 1945
• New Towns Act 1946
  + very high standard
  + good homes - gave ppl shelter
  _ shortage of workers/materials
  _ not temporary for many - still in 30 years later
  _ no community
  E. many families squatting in old army bases

Question 3

Want

(5 facts, 3 positive, 3 negative)

Answer 3

• introduce factor
• Family Allowance Act 1945
• 5s p/w for each child after the first
• National Assistance Act 1948
• regulate homes for the disabled/old - safety net
• help for disabled/old/sick
  + legal entitlement of wife - less likely to be spent @ pub
  + attempt to prevent fall in birth rate
  + a serious attempt @ ensuring those who couldn’t didn’t slip through the net
  _ employers saw family allowance as a way to keep wages low
  _ too small to make a huge difference to families
  _ over-used as so many ppl couldn’t pay NI
  E. NI Act 1946 - unemployment/sickness/widows/maternity/guardians/retirement/death grant

Question 4

Ignorance

(6 facts, 2 positive, 3 negative)

Answer 4

• introduce factor
• Education Act 1944
• not enough schl buildings + damaged
• new primary schls built due to baby boom
• tripartite structure
• schl leaving age raised to 15
• schl meals made compulsory
  + should have had equal status - placed due to ability
  + given everyone best chance possible
  _ emphasised class barriers
  _ M/C benefitted the most
• poor couldn’t afford travel/uniform costs
  E. all funding went to grammar schls

Question 5

Idleness

(4 facts, 3 positive, 3 negative)

Answer 5

• introduce factor
• Beveridge didn’t believe unemployment could go below 3%
• by 1946 it was 2.5%
• Labour went on to achieve full employment
• nationalisation of industries such as British Rail, British Coal
  + everyone who wanted a job got one
  + improvements in wages/living standards
  + profits were to be reinvested in country
  _ lots of investment + Marshall Aid coming into country
  _ could Labour take credit ?
  _ nationalisation showed growth - no incentive as no profit gained

Question 6

Disease

(4 facts, 2 positive, 3 negative)

Answer 6

• introduce factor
• NHS Act
• Aneurin Bevan led it through to law in Nov 1946
• “Money shouldn’t be an obstacle”
• “No limits to treatment given”
  + most ppl increasingly happy - especially W/C
  + highlighted problems that had built up
  _ doctors against it - Bevan compensated them £66mil
  _ 90% agreed after concessions
  _ 1951 - dentists/opticians had to be paid for
  E. 1950 - NHS cost £358mil

Question 7

Mnemonic

Answer 7

Where Idleness Spreads, Ignorance Dominates

Want
Idleness
Squalor
Ignorance
Disease