The National Government 1931-40

Question 1

What is a ‘doctor’s mandate’?

Answer 1

• Used in the National Government’s voting campaign
• Asked voters to give their support for a “medicine” that may not be pleasant
• Wanted public endorsement for severe cuts in unemployment benefits / public employee pay
• Helped the National Government win a decisive victory in Oct 1931 election

Question 2

What economic measures did the new National Government implement?

Answer 2

• Came off gold standard
• 10% cut in unemployment benefit
• Wage cuts of public employees
• Intervention in currency markets to keep the pound stable
• Interest rates lowered to 2% in 1932 to make cheap money available for borrowers

Question 3

What is a means test?

Answer 3

• Introduced by the National Government
• For unemployed who exhausted their insurance benefits to apply for a dole
• They had to pass a means test which looked at their own wealth / family member’s income

Question 4

After the 1931 election, how many MPs supported the National Government and how many opposed it?

Answer 4

• 554 MPs supporting
• 61 MPs against

Question 5

What were the trade policies of the National Government?

Answer 5

• Import Duties Act of 1932
• Imperial tariff system at the 1932 Ottawa Conference
• Trade treaties with different countries. Quota for imports into Britain in return for a quota for British exports
• Sterling area set up

Question 6

What is the sterling area?

Answer 6

A group of countries that used British pound as currency / pegged their own currencies to the value of the pound

Question 7

What were the National Governments industrial policies?

Answer 7

• Special Areas Act
• Cotton Industry Reorganisation Act
• British Shipping Assistance Act
• North Atlantic Shipping Act
• Marketing boards for milk, bacon, potatoes. Guaranteed prices for farmers
• Government subsidies for livestock farmers / sugar beet growers

Question 8

What was the Import Duties Act and when did it happen?

Answer 8

• 1932
• Imposes tariffs to protect industry/agriculture (British Empire countries exempt)

Question 9

What was the Cotton Industry Reorganisation Act and when was it?

Answer 9

• 1936
• Closed down non-profitable mills to reduce surplus capacity in the industry

Question 10

What was the British Shipping Assistance Act and when was it?

Answer 10

• 1935
• Provides government loans to shipping companies for scrapping older ships + building new ones

Question 11

What was the North Atlantic Shipping Act and when was it?

Answer 11

• 1934
• Provides loans to restart building of transatlantic liner Queen Mary

Question 12

When did Neville Chamberlain become Prime Minister?

Answer 12

1937

Question 13

What social reforms did Neville Chamberlain implement?

Answer 13

• 1937 Factory Act
• 1938 Holidays with Pay Act
• 1938 Coal Mines Act

Question 14

What did Neville Chamberlain’s Factory Act do and when was it?

Answer 14

• 1937
• Extended safety regulations under Factory Code
• Cover goes from 7 million to 11 million workers

Question 15

What did Neville Chamberlain’s Holiday with Pay Act do and when was it?

Answer 15

• 1938
• Workers have the right to one week’s paid holiday

Question 16

What did Neville Chamberlain’s Coal Mines Act do and when was it?

Answer 16

• 1938
• Nationalised coal mines by transferring royalties paid for coal mines underground from landowners to government