The Liberal Reforms 1906 - 1914.

Question 1

What Were the Social Reforms Aimed at Children?

Answer 1

1. Schools Meals Act 1906
2. School Medical Inspections 1907
3. Children’s Act 1908

Question 2

Describe the Schools Meal Act 1906

Answer 2

• Provided free hot meals to all children in schools
• Negative = Not all councils responded - many did
• Positive = Led to weight + health improvements

Question 3

Describe the School Medical Inspections 1907

Answer 3

• Every child got a yearly medical check

- Negative = treatment needed payment until 1912

Question 4

Describe the Children’s Act 1908

Answer 4

• Gave children special status as a ‘Protected Persons’
• Positive = Child abuse/neglect/insuring children became illegal
• Positive = Child courts + borstal were established.

Question 5

What was the Social Reform Aimed at the Elderly?

Answer 5

Old Age Pension Act 1908

Question 6

Describe the Old Age Pension Act 1908

Answer 6

• Offered to over 70s
• 5/ a week to single people
• 7/6d a week to married couples
  Positive = removed threat of workhouse/being reliant on families
  Negative = too many conditions:
  1. Had to have lived in the country for the past 20 years
  2. Head to have less than £31 per year to qualify
  3. Could be refused to those who had ‘not worked hard enough’

Question 7

What Were the Social Reforms Aimed at Unemployed?

Answer 7

1. The Labor Exchanges Act 1909

2. National Insurance Act (pt2) 1912

Question 8

Describe the Labor Exchange Act 1909

Answer 8

• Set up places for employers to advertise jobs + workers to find them
• Positive = 83 set up in 1910 alone

Question 9

Describe the National Insurance Act (pt2) 1912?

Answer 9

• Aimed at aiding seasonal workers (e.g. shipbuilders)

- Positive = when unemployed those in the scheme could claim 7s a week for up to 15 weeks

Question 10

What Was the Social Reform Aimed at the Sick?

Answer 10

• National Insurance Act 1911

Question 11

Describe the National Insurance Act 1911

Answer 11

• Workers paid 4d a week to the scheme
• Employers paid 3d a week into the scheme
• Government paid 2d a week into the scheme
• Positive = when workers were ill they’d receive 10s a week for up to 26 weeks
• Positive = 5s disability if they couldn’t retuen to work

Question 12

How were the Liberal Reforms Financed?

Answer 12

• People’s Budget 1909

Question 13

Describe the People’s Budget 1909

Answer 13

1. Increased taxes on the wealthy
2. Raised duties on tobacco + spirits
3. Introduced tax on profits from selling land
   - House of Lords (largely Tory) refused to pass budget
   - Caused a constitutional crisis which led to the curbing of the Lord’s powers.

Question 14

What Acts were Targeted at Improving the Life’s of the Employed?

Answer 14

1. The Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906
2. The Coal Mines Act 1908
3. The Trade Boards 1909
4. The Shops Act 1911

Question 15

What were the Strengths of the The Workmen’s Compensation Act?

Answer 15

• All employees could now receive compensation for injuries/diseases sustained at work

Question 16

What were the Strengths of the Coal Mines Act?

Answer 16

• Granted miners an 8 hour day

Question 17

What were the Strengths of the Trade Boards Act 1909?

Answer 17

• Set up boards to negotiate minimum wage in box, lace, chainmaking, tailoring trades
• 200,000 workers involved

Question 18

What were the Weaknesses of the Trade Boards Act 1909?

Answer 18

• No attempt made to define what a ‘minimum wage’ was

Question 19

What were the Strengths of the Shops Act?

Answer 19

• Shop assistants granted a weekly half-day holiday
• Maximum working week of 60 hours set
• Washing facilities to be provided in every shop

Question 20

What Act Aimed to Tackle Poverty?

Answer 20

1. Housing, Town Planning Act 1909

Question 21

What were the Strengths of the Housing + Town Planning Act?

Answer 21

• Prevented the building of “back-to-back” houses.

- Local authorities had to introduce systems of town planning which meant homes had to be built to certain standards.