Transcript The Liberal Reforms 1906 -1914

The Liberal Reforms 1906 -1914
The Young
The Main Reforms:
• School Meals 1906
• Medical Inspections 1907
• Children’s Charter 1908
Analysis of main areas tackled
What did the Liberals do?
How effective was this?
CHILD POVERTY
•1906 Free school meals
•By 1914, 14 million
meals were provided in
total (1906 = 3 million)
•However, less than half
of all local authorities
provided meals in 1912
•1907 Compulsory
medical inspection of all
schoolchildren
•Detected a great deal
of medical problems e.g.
in Glasgow, 30% of
children were found to
be “verminous”
What did the Liberals do?
How effective was this?
1907 Medical Inspections
•Although grants were
being given to some local
authorities by 1912, there
was no compulsion to treat
the health problems found.
(continued)
The Old
• Pensions for the elderly had
been discussed for over 20
years with key figures such
as Charles Booth supporting
the idea.
• Other countries had already
introduced them e.g.
Denmark, New Zealand,
Germany.
• Two main obstacles existed –
• the cost
• the opposition from Friendly
Societies who provided
pensions to the ‘thrifty’
working class.
What did the Liberals do?
OLD AGE
•1908 Old Age
pensions introduced for
those over 70.
How effective was this?
•By 1914, nearly a million
people were receiving it.
•Amount awarded (5s in
1909) was below
Rowntree’s poverty line.
• Affected a very small
proportion of people and
could be withheld in
‘undeserving’ cases.
The Unemployed
The main measures to help the
unemployed were:
• The Unemployed Workmen’s Act 1905
• Labour Exchanges 1909
• National Insurance Act (Part 2) 1911
What did the Liberals do?
How effective was this?
WAGE EARNERS
•1911 National Insurance
Act
Part I – Sickness and
Disability
Workers, employers and
the state contributed.
Benefits payable for
sickness, disablement and
maternity.
•Compulsory for all earning
under £160 a year.
•Did not cover death of
the insured worker or
hospital treatment.
•Workers families not
eligible for treatment.
What did the liberals do?
How effective was this?
•1911 National Insurance
Act
Part II – Unemployment
Workers, employers and
state contributed
7 shillings a week paid to
those out of work
•Only 2.3 million workers
covered.
•Only compulsory in
cyclical trades e.g.
shipbuilding
•Benefit limited to 15
weeks out of every year.
What did the Liberals do?
How effective was this?
•1909 Labour Exchanges
set up
•413 set up by 1913
•1909 Trade Boards Act
•Employers in ‘sweated
trades’ were prosecuted
for paying less than the
Boards minimum wage.
•3000 people found work
this way every day by
1914
What did the Liberals do?
INDIRECT MEASURES
•1911 Parliament Act
How effective was this?
•1909 budget drawn up to
tax wealthy Conservative
landowners and fund social
reforms was carried
forward.
The Employed
The main measures to help the
employed were:
•
•
•
•
Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906
Coal Mines Act 1908
Trade Boards Act 1909
Shops Act 1911
What did the Liberals do?
How effective was it?
•1911 Parliament Act
(continued)
•After 1911, The Lords
could not interfere with a
money bill or bills passed
3 times by the Commons
This left the Liberals
capable of pursuing more
reforms e.g. National
Insurance
The Effectiveness of the Liberal
Reforms – Positive Viewpoints
• The Liberals tried to tackle the key
cause of poverty and provide safeguards
against old age, sickness etc.
• Some historians – C Cross, G Williams,
EJ Evan argue they were the beginning
of the modern welfare state.
• By our standards the reforms appear
limited but they were radical for the
time and the government was accepting
responsibility for the welfare of its
citizens.
The Effectiveness of the Liberal
Reforms – Negative Viewpoints
• The Liberals did nothing to tackle other
important social issues e.g. extending
education provision, tackling slum
housing or providing free medical
treatment.
• Some historians – EJ Evans, ME Rose
argued the reforms were too limited e.g.
only covered certain people,and benefits
were only payable for a fixed amount of
time.