Labour Reforms 1945-1951 Flashcards

1
Q

What was the Beveridge Report?

A
  • Conducted in 1942

- Highlighted the need for social change in Britain

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2
Q

What were the Five Giants Highlighted in the Beveridge Report?

A
  1. Disease
  2. Ignorance
  3. Squalor
  4. Idleness
  5. Want
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3
Q

What Act was Passed to Combat the Giant of Disease?

A
  • National Health Service Act
  • Set up by Aneurin Bevan
  • Passed in 1948
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4
Q

What was the National Health Act?

A
  • Provided free healthcare universally (available to all) and comprehensively (covering all manner of health issues.)
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5
Q

What Opposition Did the National Health Act Face?

A
  • Loads of doctors + consultants didn’t want to be employed by the government - consultants wanted to be private + patients to be charged
  • 64% of GPs = against NHS - wanted freedom to treat patients privately
  • BMA organised a fierce campaign of resistance against Bevan (minister of health)
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6
Q

How did Bevan Convince Doctors to be Part of the NHS?

A
  • Promised new hospitals + equipment (badly needed)
  • Allowed doctors to treat patients privately as well as in NHS
  • NHS doctors got a salary rather than to be paid per patient/treatment
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7
Q

What Provisions did the NHS Supply?

A
  • Universal access to healthcare
  • Comprehensive healthcare
  • Free at the point of need
  • Ambulance services set up to cope with emergencies
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8
Q

What were the Strengths of the National Health Service Act?

A
  • Free medical care
  • Range of services provided (e.g. GP/dentist/etc)
  • Financed though taxes + national insurance
  • Regional hospitals established
  • Maternity care + child welfare services led to big improvements in children
  • Free vaccinations reduced number of killer childhood diseases (e.g. TB/Polio/etc.)
  • Life expectancy increased
  • Considerably improved the lives of every person
  • Seen as Crown Jewel of Welfare State
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9
Q

What were the Weaknesses of the National Health Service Act?

A
  • Opposition from BMA - government agreed to pay a fee to the doctors based on the number of patients
  • Cost of scheme was huge - £400 mil in the first year
  • Cost of prescriptions being issued more than doubled
  • Plan to pay for the NHS from National Insurance contributions didn’t work + 90% of the cost had to be paid for from ordinary taxes
  • Korean War - government forced to charge for prescriptions + glasses - led to Bevan Resigning
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10
Q

What Act was Passed to Combat the Giant of Igronance?

A
  • Butler’s Education Act

- Passed in 1944

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11
Q

What was the Butler Education Act?

A
  • Compulsory secondary education
  • School leaving age raised to 15
  • Introduction of the 11+ exams
  • Ministry of Education established
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12
Q

What were the Strengths of the Butler Education Act?

A

S

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13
Q

What were the Weaknesses of the Butler Education Act?

A
  • Not all authorities established a tripartite system - some areas technical schools not established because of cost
  • System of selection at 11 used by local authorities based on IQ tests favoured middle classes
  • Number of grammar schools places varied from one authority to another
  • Secondary modern schools were not particularly successful
  • System became socially divisively
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14
Q

What Acts were Passed to Deal with the Giant of Want?

A
  1. National Insurance Act - passed in 1946

2. National Assistance Act - passed in 1948

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15
Q

What was the National Insurance Act?

A
  • Extension of 1912 Act
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16
Q

What was the Strengths of the National Insurance Act?

A
  • Covered all adults

- Benefits under scheme included sickness, pensions, unemployment, maternity leave allowance + death grants

17
Q

What were the Weaknesses of the National Insurance Act?

A
  • Cost of full implementation was large
  • Left wingers said benefits weren’t enough
  • Act didn’t cover all eventualities- those joining scheme for first time could not get any benefits for 10 years - had to fall back on National Assistance
18
Q

What were the Strengths of the National Assistance Act?

A
  • Covered those that were not fully covered by National Insurance Act
  • Could apply to National Assistance board for help - provided support in times of need
  • Help provided general taxation + not by local authorities
19
Q

What were the Weaknesses of the National Assistance Act?

A
  • As there were additional benefits they involved some degree of means testing
20
Q

What Acts were Passed to Combat the Giant of Idleness?

A
  1. Trade Dispute Act - passed in 1946

2. Industrial Injuries Act - passed in 1946

21
Q

What were the Strengths of the Trade Disputes Act?

A
  • Made General strike illegal

- Less Strikes = More employment

22
Q

What were the Weaknesses of the Trade Disputes Act?

A
  • Weaknened power of trade unions - unpopular with working class (labour supporters)
23
Q

What were the Strengths of the Industrial Injuries Act?

A
  • Insurance against industrial injury compulsory for all employees. - Industrial injury benefits were to be paid at a higher rate than for ordinary sickness.
24
Q

What were Acts Passed to Combat Squalor?

A
  1. New Towns Act - passed in 1946

2. Housing Act - passed in 1949

25
Q

What were the New Towns Act?

A
  • Tried to resolve the inner city problems of overcrowding by relocating people to New Towns.
  • New communities built purposely to house the people from the inner cities.
  • Twelve ‘New Towns’ were planned.
  • Created towns such as Telford + Cwmbran
26
Q

What were the Strengths of the Acts to Combat Squalor

A
  • Averaged well over 20000000 houses per year between 1945-1951
  • Houses built to a higher standard
27
Q

What were the Weaknesses of the Acts Passed to Combat Squalor?

A
  • Still not enough houses built
  • Increased demand because of baby boom + increased marriages
  • Many houses built pre- fan