The Depression - Government Handling Flashcards
how did unemployment provisions in Britain compare to those in other countries
they were far more generous
What did George Orwell say was the key reason why there was no social unrest
the limited level of assistance
How did the government support unemployment
the dole scheme
What did Stevenson and Cook argue in ‘Britain in the Depression’
the dole scheme enabled the unemployed to afford the necessities of life and this helped to defuse popular discontent
what actually happened to those who were unemployed
few starved to death. The dole did exactly as it had intended
What was the right to receive unemployment benefit determined by
the controversial means test carried out by the Public Assistance Committee (PAC).
What was the issue with the means test
it was intrusive
when was the Unemployment act and what did it do
1934
it separated dole and insurance benefits as well as reversing the 10 per cent cut in the dole.
who looked after workers who had used up their insurance benefits
the Unemployment Assistance Board Act (UAB) in 1936
why was the UAB good
it was more sympathetic than the PACs and set up training schemes for the workers
what is cheap money
where interest rates were at 2%
what did the introduction of cheap money encourage
the expansion of the price house building industry
what was the issue with the special areas act
it only provided aid to the most depressed areas and despite high levels of unemployment many of the old areas did not qualify
what was the issue with the special areas act
it was short-sighted
what limited the success of the special areas act
the limited level of investment
which areas were identified in the special areas act
south wales, Tyneside, West Cumberland, Scotland
which new projects did the special areas act to invest in
it invested in projects like the new steelworks in Ebbw Vale
What was introduced in the 1930s as a useful bargaining tool in negotiations
tariffs
Give an example of a bilateral trade agreement
Ottowa Agreements in 1932
What was the tariff introduced to protect British steel and when was it introduced
1932, a 33.33% tariff was imposed against foreign competition
name a new steelwork that was introduced
the knee at Corby in Northamptonshire
what reduced the effectiveness of the 1930s tariff policy
retaliatory tariffs by foreign competitors
when was the import duties act
1932
what helped to maintain international confidence and helped to avert a banking crisis
the cutting of public sector wages and unemployment benefit
What was the issue with JM Keynes expansionary programme
his masterpiece ‘the general theory of employment, interest and money’ until 1936, meaning his plan for expansion came in too late
who criticised the government cutting their spending and cutting wages
JM Keynes
what did Keynes argue that the government should have done
increase investment and set up public works schemes
Who wrote British Society 1914-45
John Stevenson
what did John Stevenson say
in spite of the problems of the traditional sectors, the inter-war years were marked by substantial economic growth representing a significant improvement on the Edwardian era and in comparison to most other European countries
how many houses did local councils build
500,000
When was the British shipping assistance act?
1935
what did the British shipping assistance act 1935 do
provided government loans to build new ships and helped to support that industry
what did the government establish marketing boards for
milk, bacon and potatoes
what did the government do for farmers
provided guaranteed prices for farmers and provided subsidies for livestock formers and sugar beet producers
what was the unemployment level in Jarrow on Tyneside
72%
why was unemployment so high in Jarrow
Palmers shipyard closed
where was there high unemployment because of the shutting of cold mines
Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales
what did Rowntree say in his 1941 study of York
fewer people in poverty than in 1899
What was unemployment in Merthyr Tydfil
62%
how did JB Priestly describe the south
Vibrant with culture
When were holidays with pay introduced
1938
when did Butlins open and where
1937 in Skegness
what were the statistics of cinema in Liverpool in 1937
40% had gone once a week
what was the unemployment percentage in the motor vehicle industry
20% in 1932
what was the unemployment percentage in shipbuilding
62.2%
Who described a descent into extreme poverty in Liverpool
Helen Forrester
what do unemployment in vehicles end up at in 1937
4.8%
what did unemployment fall to in shipbuilding by 1937
23.8%
