What the liberal reforms covered Flashcards
The young?
The provision of school meals act allowed local authorities to raise money to pay for school meals but the law did not force local authorities to provide school meals.
Medical inspection 1907 for children were made compulsory but no treatment of illnesses or infections found was provided until 1911.
The children’s charter 1908 act banned children under 16 from smoking, drinking, or begging. New juvenile courts were set up for children accused of committing crimes. Remand homes were opened up for children awaiting trials and borstals for children convicted of breaking the law. Probation officers were employed to help former offenders in an attempt to avoid re- offending. The time taken to enforce all legislation meant the children’s charter only helped improve conditions for some children.
Social problems?
The problems can be summarised as poverty, especially among the deserving poor of the old, the young, the sick and the unemployed
The old?
Pensions act 1908: people over 70 were given between 1 and 5 shillings per week depending on any existing income. Once a person over 70 had an income of over 12 shillings per week, their pension entitlement ceased. Married couples were given 6/7 shillings.
Levels of benefit were low. Few elderly poor lived till 70. Many of the old were excluded from claiming pensions because they failed to meet qualification rules. Nevertheless there was a high uptake and many people were grateful for their pension- thank god for Lloyd George.
The sick?
The national insurance scheme of 1911 applied to workers earning less than £160 per year. Each insured worker got 9 pence in benefits from and outlay of 4 pence- ninepence for fourpence. Only the insured got free medical treatment from a doctor. Other family members did not benefit fro, this scheme. The weekly contribution was in effect a wage cut which might simply have made poverty worse in families. It helped some who had previously got no help.
The unemployed?
The national insurance act part 2 only covered unemployment for some workers in some industries and like part one of the act, required contributions from workers, employers and the government. For most workers, no unemployment insurance scheme existed.
Other reforms which could be argued helped meet problems, eg working conditions?
In 1906 the workman’s compensation act covered a further six million workers who could now claim compensation for injuries and diseases which were the result of working conditions.
In 1908, miners secured an eight hour working day.
On 1909, the trade boards act tried to protect workers in the sweated trades like tailoring and lace making by setting up trade boards to fix minimum wages.
In 1911, a shops act limited working hours and guaranteed a weekly half day holiday.
Limitations?
Aspects such as housing were not dealt with, posing the argument that Liberal reforms were not entirely successful in dealing with poverty and need.
