Post War in England and Wales

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What was the economic position of Britain in 1945?
Very poor.

Britain’s national debt was 3.5 billion
Gold reserves fell from £864 million to 3 million
The USA ended the Lend-Lease agreement and bankruptcy loomed.
A third of Britain’s housing had been destroyed or damaged.
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What was the Beveridge Report 1942?
It was a report written by the Liberal Lord William Beveridge.
It said that there were “five evil giants” affecting ordinary people in Britain – Want, Ignorance,Disease, Idleness and Squalor.
It said that the government should bring in laws to get rid of
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What were some of the reasons for Labour's victory in the 1945 General Election.
They promised to help poor people by bringing in the welfare state – the NHS, benefits for the poor, jobs, better wages, pensions for the old, and free education. Unlike the Conservatives, they promised they would do this straight away.
They also promised
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What were more reasons why Labour won the General Election in 1945?
Furthermore, they stated that they would rebuild the nation’s economy and return the country to prosperity.
The Conservative Party was not popular because people blamed them for the Depression and not putting in a plan of action to tackle its effects. Soc
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What was the Welfare State?
The Welfare State was the set of laws (social reforms) brought in by the Labour government from 1945 – 1951 to protect and help people in Britain “from the cradle to the grave”. This included unemployment benefit, sickness benefit and the NHS. It was base
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What were the two main parts of the Welfare State?
1946 National Insurance Act
1948 National Health Service Act
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The Beveridge Report said that there were “five evil giants” in Britain that the government had to get rid of. What laws did the Labour Governments bring in to tackle each of these?
Want
1946 National Insurance Act

Ignorance
1947 Education Act (first passed in 1944)

Disease
1948 National Health Insurance Act
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What were the other "Five Giants?"
Idleness
1948 Employment and Training Act, Nationalization

Squalor
1946 Housing Act
1946 New Towns Act
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Labour’s housing policies after 1945.
‘Homes for All’ Promised to build more than 300,000 prefab homes (cheap)
1.2 homes were built, more than originally promised but not as many as Labour wanted or the nation needed. Still a huge need for housing in 1951.
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Describe the Social Security policy of the Post-War Labour government.
1946 National Insurance Act. This was the most important part of the Welfare State, along with the NHS.
It provided sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, pensions, maternity grants, death grants, widow’s pensions.
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How important was the 1948 National Health Insurance Act?
Very important.
It was the most important part of the Welfare State, along with the 1946 National Insurance Act.
Aneurin Bevan was the Minister for Health and Housing.
For the first time everyone in Britain was entitled to free medical care visits to the
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How successful was the Labour government’s policy of nationalization?
In most ways it was successful. The government took control of important industries. Workers were pleased to have better wages especially in the coal industry. It created a lot of jobs and raised standards in important areas.
In other ways it was unsucces
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Explain why the Labour Party lost the 1951 General Election.
Taxes had risen to pay for the Welfare State, nationalization, and the new Korean War. Rationing (Age of Austerity) was still going on.
Some of Labour’s leading politicians had died, retired, or simply run out of energy. Many people felt the party had ach
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What were the successes of the National Health Service established by the Labour Government?
5 million people were issued with NHS glasses in the first year and millions visited the dentist in order to get their teeth extracted.
It provided healthcare free at the point of use for many of the poorest in society who had never before been able to af
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What were the failures of the National Health Service established by the Labour Government?
The NHS cost £248 million in its first year – almost 140 million more than had been originally estimated.
The number of free prescriptions reached 229 million. By 1951, the annual cost of the NHS was 500 million.
The labour government were forced to intro
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What was the name of the Minister of Labour and National Service who was in charge of demobilization?
Sir William Beveridge
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What was the name of the report that Labour based their general election manifesto on?
The Beveridge Report
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What are the Five Giants?
Want
Ignorance
Disease
Idleness
Squalor
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Name two new services that were available to the British public as a result the National Health Act 1946?
Free healthcare for all
Free dental care for all
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Name the two main reasons why the BMA were opposed to the introduction of the NHS?
They thought it would cost too much money.
They thought that doctors wouldn’t get paid as much.
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What was the name of the test that determined the type of secondary education that pupils would receive as a result of the Education Act of 1944?
11 Plus
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Name the 3 most significant industries that Labour nationalised between 1945-51:
Coal
Transport
Electricity
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What items were taken for granted when the NHS first opened it doors to the public?
Cotton, Aspirin and household products
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How much money did the Government estimate that the NHS would cost them?
£140 Million by 1950 and at the beginning of 1949, costs were more than double this reaching around £400 million and by the time Labour left office in 1951 annual costs were almost £500 million pounds.
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Card 2

Front

What was the Beveridge Report 1942?

Back

It was a report written by the Liberal Lord William Beveridge.
It said that there were “five evil giants” affecting ordinary people in Britain – Want, Ignorance,Disease, Idleness and Squalor.
It said that the government should bring in laws to get rid of

Card 3

Front

What were some of the reasons for Labour's victory in the 1945 General Election.

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What were more reasons why Labour won the General Election in 1945?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What was the Welfare State?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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