In
1940, during the Second World War, the Labor Party had entered into a coalition
with the Conservative Party. On 10 June 1941, Arthur Greenwood, the Labor MP
and Minister without Portfolio, had announced the creation of an
inter-departmental committee which would carry out a survey of Britain's social
insurance and allied services. The objectives of create this committee is “To survey
the structure and the efficiency of the British Social Services and to
recommend necessary reform”.
To
undertake, with special reference to the inter-relation of the schemes, a
survey of the existing national schemes of social insurance and allied services,
including workmen's compensation, and to make recommendations.
Its
members were civil servants from the Home Office, Ministry of Labor and
National Service, Ministry of Pensions, Government Actuary, Ministry of Health,
HM Treasury, Reconstruction Secretariat, Board of Customs and Excise,
Assistance Board, Department of Health for Scotland, Registry of Friendly
Societies and Office of the Industrial Assurance Commissioner.
In
1945, Clement Attlee and the Labor Party defeated Winston Churchill's Conservative
Party in the election. Attlee announced the introduction of the Welfare State
as outlined in the Beveridge Report. This included the establishment of a
National Health Service in 1948, with free medical treatment for all. A
national system of benefits was also introduced to provide social security, so
that the population would be protected 'from the cradle to the grave'.