STATE PROVISION FOR SOCIAL NEED
Series Two: The Beveridge Papers from the
British Library of Political and Economic Science

Part 1: Early Working Papers on Welfare, Labour and Unemployment Insurance, 1902-1944

In Series Two of this microfilm project we cover Sections III, IV, VI, VII and VIII of the William Henry Beveridge Papers from the British Library of Political and Economic Science. This project covers just those Sections of subject files with a strong bearing on the Welfare State, the Beveridge Report, Social Insurance, Health, Pensions and Economic Planning after 1945. Relating to a wide variety of disciplines, this project is an important source for modern history, gender studies and politics.

Other Sections, principally the major runs of correspondence and other material still restricted by copyright are not covered here. The subject files in this microfilm project are made available as follows:

Part 1: Early Working Papers on Welfare, Labour and Unemployment Insurance, 1902-1944
(Sections III and IV)
Part 2: Politics, Economic Planning, Social Insurance, Health and the Welfare State, 1944-1963
(Section VI)
Part 3: Correspondence and Papers on Health Services, Old Age, Pensions, New Towns and Post-War Europe, 1919-1962
(Section VII)
Part 4: Reports and Working Papers on Coal, Unemployment, Food Rationing, Manpower, Fuel and Social Insurance, 1925-1961
(Section VIII)

Re-examining the Welfare State in detail has become a major preoccupation of modern day governments in the late 1990s. Here we provide a comprehensive microfilm edition of all the private papers amassed by Beveridge on this subject between 1902 and 1963.

The publication of the Beveridge Report, in 1942, captured the public imagination and it was his proposals which set the agenda for post-war reconstruction. This Report enjoyed widespread coverage in the American press.

It made the following major recommendations:
a comprehensive scheme of Social Insurance including unemployment and sickness benefit, maternity benefit, widow’s benefit and pension, guardian’s allowance, retirement pension and other grants; a free National Health Service; a system of Family Allowances; and training schemes for the Unemployed.

There is extensive detail on all these topics as well as many documents on Beveridge's thinking in the 1920s and 1930s.

In the process of compiling his findings Beveridge looked in detail at many early attempts to pass legislation to make provision for social need. This included analysis of early steps taken in Germany under Bismarck, the work of the Webbs and the Fabian Society, legislation passed by Lloyd George in 1911, the US Wisconsin Plan and the National Resources Planning Board of the United States of America.

Above all Beveridge is best remembered for the beginning of the Social Services administration and the Welfare State in Britain, the formation of the National Health Service and the desire to tackle the difficult problems of unemployment.

Part 1 covers a range of papers from Beveridge's work with the London Unemployed Fund in 1904 and 1905, his visit to Germany in 1907, his study of unemployment as a problem of industry, his work on Labour Exchanges, Unemployment Insurance, to Manpower and Reconstruction in the Inter-War period.

Part 2 includes his correspondence as a constituency MP for Berwick on Tweed, 1944-1945, the General Election campaign of 1945 as well as all Beveridge's papers relating to Parliamentary affairs and debates, especially Social Insurance, the Children's Bill, the Economic Situation, Housing, the Family, Welfare, the Health Service, the National Insurance Bill of 1954, Provision for Old Age, Pension Schemes, Transport Problems, the United Nations, Disarmament and Europe.

Part 3 has a strong focus on Health Services, Hospitals, Old Age, Pensions, Economic Planning, New Towns, Post-War Europe and the role of the United Nations after 1945, the European-Atlantic Group, along with material on the Crusade for World Government, Federal Union, the Parliamentary Group for World Government and papers on Broadcasting and Television.

Part 4 provides complete coverage of all the working papers, correspondence and notes for all Beveridge's Reports:
The Royal Commission on the Coal Industry of 1925, with papers for 1925-1930.
The Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee of 1934-1944, with papers for 1934-1944.
The Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence on Food Rationing, 1936, with papers for 1936-1937.
The Manpower Survey of 1940 and The Committee on Skilled Men in the Services, 1941 with papers for 1939-1943.
The Fuel Rationing Enquiry of 1942, with papers for 1941-1945.
The Inter-Departmental Committee on Social Insurance and Allied Services, 1941-1942 (the Beveridge Report), with papers for 1941-1961.
The Broadcasting Committee, 1949-1950, with papers for 1949-1950.

A single paperback guide accompanies the first two parts of Series Two of this microfilm project. A second paperback guide will cover Parts 3 and 4.