Public Health and the World Wars

• What years did the First World War take place?

  1914-1918
• What years did the Second World War occur?

  1939-1945
• How did the World Wars affect social distinctions?

  They broke down social distinctions and united people
• Why did government officials become more aware of health problems during the wars?

  Mass armies revealed poor health among recruits
• What motivated powerful people to address health problems during the wars?

  The need for a strong army to defend the country
• What was the impact of evacuating children during the Second World War?

  Increased awareness of disadvantage in rural communities
• What did people seek after the Second World War?

  Improvements in society
• Which political party won the 1945 election in the UK?

  Labour Party
• What promises did the Labour Party make in 1945?

  Healthcare for everyone and full employment
• What did Prime Minister David Lloyd George promise during the First World War?

  To build 'homes fit for heroes'
• Why were many new council houses built in the 1920s and 1930s not accessible to the poorest families?

  They were too expensive for them
• How did the Second World War impact housing in Britain?

  It caused severe housing shortages due to destruction
• How many homes did the Labour government build between 1945 and 1951?

  800,000 homes
• What was the purpose of the New Towns Act passed in 1946?

  To create new towns near major cities
• How many old, cramped slums were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s?

  Over 900,000 slums
• How many inhabitants were rehoused after the demolition of slums?

  Around 2 million inhabitants
• What was the title of the report published in 1961 regarding housing standards?

  'Homes for Today and Tomorrow'
• What specific standards were included in the 1961 report for new housing?

  Heating, flushing toilet, and space
• What public health problems were addressed by the standards set in the 1961 report?

  Overcrowding, poor nutrition, and waste disposal
• What did the Beveridge Report lead to?

  The welfare state
• Who published the Beveridge Report?

  William Beveridge
• When was the Beveridge Report published?

  In 1942
• Why was the Beveridge Report significant?

  It became a bestseller and was widely read
• What duty did Beveridge say the government had?

  To care for all its citizens
• What system did Beveridge suggest creating?

  A welfare state
• What did Beveridge mean by 'from the cradle to the grave'?

  State provision of social security throughout life
• What are the five 'giants' Beveridge identified?

  Want, disease, ignorance, squalor, idleness
• What was the promise of the 1945 Labour government?

  To implement Beveridge's proposals
• What was one of the first acts of the 1945 Labour government?

  Passing a new National Insurance Act
• What did the National Insurance Act of 1946 support?

  Anyone who couldn't work
• What conditions did the National Insurance Act cover?

  Sickness, pregnancy, unemployment, old age
• How did the Labour Party's National Insurance Act differ from the Liberal government's version?

  It allowed anyone to apply without a test