liberal reforming legislation Flashcards
1
Q
race relations act 1968
A
- outlaws discrimination in housing, employment and access to public services (insurance)
- race relations board given more powers
2
Q
examples of race relations act 1968 being a failure
A
- race relations board ineffective, upheld 10% of 1241 complaints
- loopholes remained, discrimination through ‘racial balance’
- the police were excluded from discrimination
3
Q
examples of race relations act 1968 being a success
A
- nottinghill carnival held annually 1964
- ride of asian and chinese food shops
- youth culture embraced into communities through music, fashion and street life
4
Q
commonwealth immigration act 1968
A
- following ‘africanisation’ in 1963, gov invalidated their passports, denying refugees entry
- only 1.5k out of the 7k that applied were allowed entry
5
Q
failures of commonwealth discrimination act 1968
A
- triggered wider extremism (powell rivers of blood speech)
- seen as discriminatory, immoral and shameful
6
Q
successes of commonwealth immigration act 1968
A
- callaghan used it to built trust with unions again
- seen to be political success
7
Q
criminal justice act 1967
A
- outlawed co-orporal punishment in prisons
8
Q
family planning/abortion act 1967
A
- legalised abortion up to 24 weeks provided signed off by 2 doctors
- contraceptive advice given regardless of martial status
- private members bill, backbench MP
9
Q
sexual offences bill 1967
A
- consenting men in private over the age of 21 decriminalised
- over a thousand men a year imprisoned for sexuality
10
Q
mines and quarries act 1969
A
- legal obligation on mine owners to manage and keep tips secure
- following welsh avalanche
11
Q
public records act 1967
A
reduced period for release of official documents from 50 to 30 years
12
Q
rep of the people act 1969
A
voting age down from 21 to 18
13
Q
divorce law reform act 1969
A
- no longer trapped in ‘loveless marriages’
14
Q
matrimonial proceedings and property act 1970
A
allowed courts financial support for children during divorce
15
Q
equal pay act 1970
A
- came into force 5 years later
- discrimination between men and women illegal through pay
16
Q
race relations act 1965
A
- forbade discrimination in public places
- housing and employment discrimination excluded
- race relations board set up
17
Q
failures in race relations act 1965
A
- shows race has the potential to polarise politics
- 5 seat majority threatened as some labour MPs opposed, hence why housing and employment discrimination excluded
- race relations board ineffective, did not compel witness to attend hearings, 734 out of 982 complaints in 1965 dismissed due to lack of evidence
18
Q
who was home secretary 1965 to 1967?
A
jenkins
19
Q
who was home secretary 1967-1970?
A
- james callaghan
20
Q
example of social reforms that were in line with public opinion
A
- sexual offences act 1967
- NHS family planning act 1967
- commonwealth immigrants act 1968
- theatres act 1968
- rep of the people 1969
- divorce reform act 1969
21
Q
examples of social reforms that weren’t inline with public opinion
A
- abolition of the death penalty
- race relations act 1965 and 1968
- abortion act 1967
- matrimonial property act 1970
- equal pay 1970
22
Q
why was abolition of death penalty against public opinion? 1965
A
- butler, jenkins, callaghan all in favour
- however public decidedly against
23
Q
what was the education reform act 1965?
A
- anthony crosland
- joined local grammar schools with secondary schools to form comprehensive schools
- ending widespread use of 11+ exam
24
Q
when was the education reform act?
A
1965
25
when was the abolition of the death penalty? when was the last execution in britain?
1965
1964
26
when were the two race relations acts?
1965 and 1968
27
why were the race relations act not in line with public opinion?
london survey showed:
- half said they refused to live next door to a black or asian person
- 9 in 10 objected to interracial marriage
28
why was sexual offences act 1967 in line with public opinion?
- private sexual activity was not a matter for the law
- attitudes were softening towards gay rights
- 1963 poll showed 93% viewed homosexuality as an illness and therefore should not be punished.
29
where was the sexual offences act applied and where was it?
only england, scotland did not decriminalise until 1980
1967
30
why was the NHS family planning act in line with public opinion?
- centred around helping low income families to limit family size to avoid economic struggle
31
when was the NHS family planning act?
1967
32
why was the abortion/family planning act of 1967 so controversial?
- would end backstreet abortions
- would end self induced miscarriages
- ended dilemma of mothers forced into pregnancies they couldn’t financially afford
- split for moral and religious reasons
33
when was the abortion act?
1967
34
how many backstreet abortions were there estimated a year?
100,000
35
when was the society for protection of the unborn child set up? what was it?
1966
- set to opposed any liberalisation set up. fearing extension of abortion beyond strict medical grounds would lead to abortion on demand
36
figures of abortion rates and dates
35,000 1968
141,000 1975
37
why was the commonwealth immigrants act in line with public opinion? 1968
- organisations like the British KKK and National Front were becoming more popular
- general opposition to immigration was prominent
38
when was the commonwealth immigrants act?
1968
39
what was the theatres act and when was it?
- abolished censorship of the stage for the first time since 1500s
- had widespread support
- 1968
40
was was the rep of the people act 1969 in line with public opinion?
yes
41
when was the rep of the people act in the sixties?
1969
42
why was the divorce reform act of 1969 in line with public opinion?
- introduced ‘irretrievable breakdown’ of relationship as a reason for divorce
- act simplified the process and made it less expensive
43
when was the divorce reform act?
1969
44
why was the matrimonial property act 1970 controversial?
- contribution to wife must be considered in proceedings
- divorce no longer a financial disaster for women
- made financial provision for women and children fairer in event of divorce
45
when was the matrimonial property act?
1970
46
why was the equal pay act not in line with public opinion?
- 1958, women were paid less than 2/3 what a man received for the same work
- little chance of promotions
- late 1950s, civil service and state education introduced equal pay but society did not follow example
47
when did the ‘marriage bar’ collapse?
- 1951 to 1972, women did not stop work when they married
48
free vote
individual MPs vote according to own conscience rather than following political party line
- used during social legislation
49
why were so many private member’s bills passed?
(backbench MP proposed)
- jenkins (home secretary) was sympathetic and allowed time for them to be passed
50
what type of bill was the abolition of the death penalty?
private members bill, pushed by Labour backbencher Sydney Silverman
51
under the divorce reform act, what were the reasons couples could divorce?
- they have lived apart for two years and both partners agree a divorce
- they have lived apart for five years and one partner wants the divorce
- an ‘irretrievable breakdown’
- a ‘no fault divorce’
52
how many women died of backstreet abortion between 1958 and 1960?
82
53
who led the reform campaign for abortion in parliament?
david steel
54
what was the thalidomide disaster?
- prescribed in the 1960s for pregnant women with morning sickness
- found to produce congenital deformities in children when taken in early pregnancy
- commonly born without long bones of arms and/or the legs
55
what was the reaction to the thalidomide disaster?
- opinion polls showed majority in favour of allowing abortion when an abnormality had been detected in a foetus
56
what type of bill was the decriminalisation of homosexuality?
- private members bill
- leo abse, a labour mp
57
who was tony crosland?
- ‘the future of socialism’, influential on the right wing of the labour party
- foreign secretary 1976 to 1977
58
what was the reasoning behind setting up Open University?
- fears britain was slipping behind in science and tech compared to france, germany and usa
59
how many higher education industries were opened through the open uni?
- 1968, 30 polytechnics and 56 universities
60
who was responsible for the opening of open university?
- wilson
- helped by jennie lee
- wanted to give opportunities to those who never had parents go to uni
61
how many students did open uni have by 1980?
70,000
- awarding more degrees than oxford and cambridge combined
