To what extent did the Liberal Government (1906-14) set up a Welfare State in Britain? The Liberal Government (1906-14) worked hard at providing Britain with a 'Welfare State

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To what extent did the Liberal Government (1906-14) set up a Welfare State in Britain?

         The Liberal Government (1906-14) worked hard at providing Britain with a ‘Welfare State’. This meant the provision of comprehensive, equal, universal state services for the prevention of disease, squalor, want, idleness and ignorance. Between 1906-1914 many social reforms were introduced to help provide a Welfare State but to what extent was it actually established?

The first of the social reforms by the Liberal Government was the Education (provision of school meals) Act 1906. This act endeavoured to provide school meals for needy children. It was worked on the ‘feed the stomach, then the mind’ theory i.e. children who were hungry were unable to learn. This act although introduced in 1906 was not actually made compulsory until 1914. This was the first in a number of reforms designed to improve the lives of children, therefore adding to the welfare of the state. Medical inspections at school were introduced in 1907 although the government were at first reluctant to do this as it would, and did, highlight a number of serious health problems in the country. By 1912 education authorities could also provide free medical treatment, though many authorities ignored this act. In 1908 the Borstal Probation System was set up. This created juvenile courts allowing children not to be seen by judges as full criminals and treated accordingly. 1919 saw the introduction of the Children’s Act that forbade children from being in public houses, buying alcohol and begging. This brought children off the streets doing things they should not and made the laws for children much better for everyone, not just the ones relying on the welfare state. The last act that was passed for children was the Education Act (choice of employment) that was designed to cut down the number of children who went from school into dead end jobs by giving them guidance in schools. These acts did help to improve the welfare of children but may have been more helpful if they had been followed directly by all local authorities. Also the Liberal Government did not initiate these ideas themselves, although they did take them over.

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An act was also introduced for the welfare of the elderly. This was the Old Age Pensions Act and was introduced in 1908.This act had been debated for many years as part of an enquiry into the subject of poverty amongst the elderly. Up until 1908 many people in the government had a feeling of laissez-faire but now they were stepping away from this. The act meant that a pension of 5s per week was given out to all people over 70. This however was not enough in many cases for living. This was the first time that the government ...

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