This book provides the definitive account of the making of the 1942
Beveridge Report and its influence on wartime and post-war social
policy. The Beveridge Report: Blueprint for the Welfare State aims
to offer a definitive analysis of the famous document, so influential in
the founding of the Welfare State and the National Health Service, which
still resonates in current debates about 'getting back to Beveridge' and
a 'Beveridge for the 21st Century'.
It is based on extensive research into the papers of the Beveridge
Committee, official Government archives and the papers of contemporary
politicians and groups. Published to coincide with the Report's 80th
anniversary, the book is treated as a case study in policy formulation
during the 1940s.
Key features of the book include
- The first systematic review and assessment of the work of the
Beveridge Committee and the evidence submitted to it
- Detailed analysis of the enthusiastic reception of the Report and the
government's lukewarm attitude
- A full survey of the detailed planning for welfare reform and
Beveridge's role when excluded from it
- An assessment of the influence of Beveridge upon the creation of the
Welfare State by Attlee's Labour Government
This important book will be of interest to scholars of twentieth-century
British, social history, political history and contemporary politics and
comparative health and education systems.
Derek Fraser is Emeritus Professor at the University of Teesside, where
he served as Vice-Chancellor for 11 years.
