1 - The Beveridge Report

What was the official title of the Beveridge Report?

Social Insurance and Allied Services: Report.

When was the Beveridge Report published?

December 1942.

Which three politicians were planning for postwar Britain from different parties?

R.A. Butler (Conservative), William Beveridge (Liberal), and Aneurin Bevan (Labour).

What was the key idea of the Beveridge Report regarding the state's role?

The state should care for its citizens “from the cradle to the grave.”

What were the ‘five giant evils’ identified in the Beveridge Report?

Want (poverty), Ignorance (lack of education), Disease (ill health), Squalor (poor housing), and Idleness (unemployment).

How did the British public respond to the Beveridge Report?

The majority supported it enthusiastically as a vision for a better future.

Why did some people oppose the Beveridge Report?

They feared the reforms would be too expensive and undermine traditional values of self-help.

What political concern did some opponents raise about the Report?

Some critics feared it was a step toward Russian-style communism.

How did Winston Churchill respond to the Beveridge Report?

He accepted parts of it, though he remained cautious about full-scale reform.

What new government department was created in response to the Report in 1943?

The Ministry of Town and Country Planning.

What major education reform followed the Beveridge Report?

The Education Act of August 1944, which aimed to provide universal access to secondary education.

What changes did the Education Act introduce?

It raised the school leaving age first to 15, and then to 16, and provided free secondary education for all.