Developments in public health during the early and mid-20th century
The 20th century saw greater improvements and more rapid changes in people’s health than ever before.
Changes introduced by the Liberal governments of 1906-1914
The years 1906 to 1914 saw huge social change. The Liberal governments of this period turned their back on laissez-faireTranslated as ‘leave well alone’ or ‘let the people choose’. A government policy of interfering as little as possible in social and economic policy. ideas and decided that the state did have a role to play in improving public health.
The Liberals’ decision was the result of a number of important events. These highlighted the fact that in many parts of Britain ill health still remained a serious problem:
- A report in 1889 by Charles Booth had showed that 35 per cent of Londoners were living in extreme poverty.
- A report in 1901 by Seebohm Rowntree had found that half of the population of York were living in poverty.
- During the Boer War of 1899-1902, one-third of those who volunteered to fight had been rejected because of poor health.
When they got into power in 1906, the Liberal government introduced a range of social reforms designed “to wage implacable warfare against poverty and squalidness”. As well as the 1911 National Insurance Act, the Liberals introduced other measures:
| Year | Measure |
| 1906 | Providing free school meals for children from poor families ensured children got at least one good meal per day |
| 1907 | School medical inspections meant health visitors could keep an eye on children’s health |
| 1908 | The Old-Age Pensions Act greatly reduced people’s fear of old age by giving the elderly a guaranteed income |
| 1909 | Minimum wages in certain industries gave many poorer workers a living wage |
| Year | 1906 |
|---|---|
| Measure | Providing free school meals for children from poor families ensured children got at least one good meal per day |
| Year | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Measure | School medical inspections meant health visitors could keep an eye on children’s health |
| Year | 1908 |
|---|---|
| Measure | The Old-Age Pensions Act greatly reduced people’s fear of old age by giving the elderly a guaranteed income |
| Year | 1909 |
|---|---|
| Measure | Minimum wages in certain industries gave many poorer workers a living wage |
In the 1909 budget, David Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, increased taxes on the rich to help pay for the Liberals’ social reforms.
Changes after World War One
At the end of World War One, David Lloyd George, who was then prime minister, promised to create “a land fit for heroes to live in”. In 1919 a new Housing Act announced plans for councils to build 500,000 new homes within three years.
Economic problems meant that only 200,000 were completed. However, for the first time, many more people were able to live in houses that had electricity, running water, bathrooms, indoor toilets and gardens. By 1939, over 1 million council housesHouses built and owned by local authorities, which act as landlords for the people living in them. had been built across the UK.
Changes after World War Two
Following the damage and destruction of World War Two, the Labour government had another million council houses built between 1945 and 1951. However, the problem of poor housing remained.
As of 2020, it has been reported that more than four million people in the UK live in sub-standard or inappropriate accommodation.
There have also been other government efforts to improve public health.
In 1952, the killer smogA type of pollution that is a mixture of smoke and fog. in London killed an estimated 12,000 people. This highlighted the poor quality of air in many parts of Britain. As a result, the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 aimed to reduce air pollution from coal fires. More recently, laws have been passed to reduce emissions from greenhouse gases, eg carbon dioxide and methane.
In the 1960s there was a huge slum clearance effort. The slums were often replaced with tower blocks. Some people were moved into new towns, eg Milton Keynes. These were built to get people out of old, dirty, overcrowded industrial towns. Houses had modern facilities and the towns had plenty of green spaces for public use.
