Abstract
“PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES” (Cmd. 5310. London: H.M. Stationery Office. 4d) portrays statistically what may, without much exaggeration, be called the social revolution of the twentieth century in Great Britain. It shows that in the first thirty years of the century the cost of the social services referred to increased just thirteen-fold, namely, from thirty-six millions to four hundred and sixty-eight millions sterling. The first decade was marked by a rise in expenditure under Education Acts from 20 to 34 millions and the coming of old age pensions which cost 7 millions in 1910. The next decade saw a leap in education expenditure from 34 to 90 millions and in old age pensions from 7 to 21, the introduction of unemployment insurance (11 millions), national health insurance (30 millions), the mental deficiency acts, and, of course, war pensions. Between 1920 and 1930 the expenditure under unemployment insurance increased to 102 millions and under old age pensions to 37 J millions, and the widows', orphans' and old age contributory pensions acts came into force, involving, in 1930, an expenditure of 34J millions. During this period, expenditure under the housing acts increased from 4 J to 40 millions.
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Social Services in Great Britain. Nature 139, 500 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139500b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139500b0