The Liberal Reforms

The Liberal Reforms

1. 1901 - Seebohm Rowntree found that there were people that didn't eat. They were most vulnerable at three points

   • Children
     • 1906
       • Local authorities were allowed to provide free school meals
     • 1908
       • Children and Young Persons Act introduced a set of regulations later known as the Children's Charter
         • Imposed severe punishments for neglecting or treating children cruelly
       • Made illegal to sell cigarettes to children or send them out begging
       • Separate juvenile courts were set up - sent children to borstals, not prisons
   • Old Age
     • 1908
       • Pensions were introduced for the over 70's - gave them 5s a week, or 7s 6d to a married couple
       • Old people cried as they collected their pensions, and said: 'God bless Lloyd George'
   • Workers
     • 1909
       • Labour exchanges were set up to help unemployed people find work
     • 1911
       • National Insurance Act passed
         • Part 1
           • Gave people the right to free medical treatment, and sick pay of 10s a week for 26 weeks in return for a payment o 4d a week
         • Part 2
           • Gave people right to unemployment pay (dole) of 7s 6d a week for 15 weeks in return for a payment of 2 1/2 d a week

2. Reforms and reasons

   • Reasons
     • Seebohm Rowntree's study of York - 1901 - 28% population did not have the minimum to live on at some time of their life.
     • Boer War - When Britain went to war (1899) 2/3rd's unfit to fight
     • Germany - good system of state welfare for workers was passing Britain as a great industrial power
     • Strikes - 1910-12 - growth of trade unionism - politicians feared might rebel
     • Labour Party growing stronger, attacking working-class voters demands for welfare reform
     • 1910 - Liberal Party not get majority seat (House of Commons) so - coalition with the 42 Labour Party MP's who'd been elected
     • Many government politicians, especially Lloyd George, want to 'wage war' on poverty
   • Reforms
     • 1906 - the Trades Disputes Act ruled that unions were not liable for damages because of strikes
     • 1906 - the Workers Compensation Act granted compensation for injury at work
     • 1907 - school medical inspections
     • A Merchant Shipping Act improved conditions for sailors
     • 1908 - eight-hour day for miners
     • 1910 - half-day a week off for shop workers
     • 1911 onwards - MP's were paid. Gave working men opportunity to stand for election

3. Facts

   • Free school meal
     • By 1914, 150,00 children were getting one good meal a day
   • Free medical treatment

4. Lloyd George

   • Parliament Act 1911
   • He designed the National Insurance Act and Old Age Pensions scheme.

5. 1890

   • Industrial Revolution
     • Factories and towns were developed at an unprecedented rate

6. Social reform = changes to help people

7. 1911

   • National vote