Laws to Help Children and Elderly People

Question 1

Give the two acts, passed in 1906 and 1907, that concerned children’s health.

Answer 1

1906 - School Meals Act: allowed Local Education Authorities to give out free school meals
1907 - Local education authorities gave children free medical inspections at their schools

Question 2

What act aimed to protect young people?

Answer 2

1908 - Children and Young Person’s Act (Children’s Charter) made it illegal for children under 16 to buy cigarettes, go into a pub or beg.
- Set up juvenile courts so young offenders wouldn’t be tried in adult courts

Question 3

What did Herbert Samuel do?

Answer 3

• Set up borstals for young offenders so they didn’t have to go to adult prisons
• Set up the probation service to stop children from reoffending

Question 4

What did Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduce?

Answer 4

• 1908 Old Age Pensions Act
• Gave pensions for those over 70 on low income
• It was a non-contributory scheme: it came out of normal taxes and the elderly had to pay nothing towards it
• £1,200,000 of tax money was set aside for pensions

Question 5

What were the specific payments?

Answer 5

• Single people with an income less than £21 a year got 5 shillings a week
• Married people with an income of less than £21 a year got 7 shillings and 6 pence a week
• Those with an income between £21 and £31 per year got a smaller pension
• Those with an income greater than £31 got no pension

Question 6

When were the first pensions paid?

Answer 6

• The first pensions were paid on 1st January 1909 (a “new year’s gift”)
• The elderly shouted “God bless Lloyd George

Question 7

Other details about the pension?

Answer 7

• Labour said the pensions were too low
• They were immensely popular however, and Lloyd George took the credit
• The aim wasn’t to help everyone: only the poorest