APPENDIX
British Institute of Public Opinion
For internal circulation only
The following results of a survey, made in mid-December 1943, have been received. The survey was
not
sponsored by Home Intelligence Division.
I.
Housing Shortage
.
Q: “In your district, do you think that the Local Council is doing all it can to meet the housing shortage?”
Yes
No
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
37
32
31
Economic groups.
Higher
46
29
25
Middle
37
36
27
Lower
35
32
3[Text Missing]
Other breakdowns showed no significant differences.
Q: (If not) “what more should it do?”
Total
%
Build new houses
10
Take over empty houses
4
Repair bomb-damaged houses
2
Fix rents
1
Can't do more without Government assistance
2
Miscellaneous
11
No answer, Don't know
2
2.
Bombing
Q: “How do you feel about the bombing?”
Total
%
Satisfaction, getting some of their own medicine, keep it up.
47
approve: 83%
We are justified in doing it, it is a necessity
17
Dislike bombing, but necessary under present circumstances
16
Sorry for the kids and old people, but it is necessary
3
They should only bomb industrial plants and communications as far as possible
2
I am against bombing
7
Miscellaneous
6
No answer, Don't know
2
Notes
:
1. These results, compared with those for a very similar question asked in July 1943, show no significant difference.
2. Analysis of replies by religion shows no significant differences between the different denominations.
3. These results confirm the qualitative findings of Home Intelligence.
3.
Duration of the War
Q. 1: “How long do you think the war with Germany will last from now?”
Q. 2: “How long do you think the war with Japan will last from now?”
Germany
Japan
Dec. '43
.
Oct. '43
.
Dec. '43
.
Oct. '43
.
%
%
%
%
6 months
36
18
4
4
1 year
56
43
18
15
2 years
7
34
57
50
3 years
1
3
13
19
Longer
-
2
8
12
Note
: These results show a considerable increase in optimism in the course of three months.
4.
Money and the family
Q. 1: (To husbands) “Does your wife know how much you earn each week?”
Yes
75%
No
25%
Q. 2: (To wives) “Does your husband tell you how much he earns each week?”
Yes
72%
No
28%
Q. 3: (To all) “How do you arrange about the spending of money?”
Wife has a fixed allowance; husband gets balance
Husband has a fixed allowance wife gets balance
Arrangement variable from time to time
%
%
%
Total:
49
17
34
Economic groups:
Upper
55
9
36
Middle
52
12
36
Lower
48
19
43
Note
: Other analyses showed no significant differences.
Q: 4 “Do you think that wives should be allowed to keep any savings out of the housekeeping money?”
Yes
No
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
78
15
7
Men
68
23
9
Women
87
8
5
Age groups:
21 - 29
84
9
7
30 - 49
78
15
7
50 and over
75
18
7
Occupational groups:
Housewives
87
8
5
Salaried and clerical
80
13
7
Retired and unoccupied
64
24
12
Miners
52
42
6
Note
: Breakdown by
income
groups showed no significant differences.
Q: 5. “If the Government agree to pay allowances for children, should the money be paid over to the father or the mother?”
Father
Mother
Either
%
%
%
Total:
16
59
25
Men
24
50
26
Women
8
68
24
Economic groups:
Upper
32
44
24
Middle
18
60
22
Lower
15
59
26
Note
: Age group breakdowns showed no significant differences.
The above questions were asked in the following order:- 4, 1 or 2, 3. Question 5. was asked in a separate survey, but to a comparable sample also in mid-December.
5.
Postwar problems
Q 1: “What will be the most urgent problem on the home front after the war?”
Total
%
%
Finding jobs, demobilisation
51
55
Changeover of industry to peace-time production
4
Housing
23
Maintaining supplies of food and clothing for the people
7
10
Social security in all forms
3
Miscellaneous
9
No answer, don't know
3
Q 2: “What should the Allies do with Germany as a country after the war?”
Total
%
Occupation for a number of years, strict supervision
29
Breaking up into small States, destroy it as a country
24
Disarm them and make it impossible to make war again
10
Divide it among Russia, Poland, France etc.
7
Make sure they don't escape retribution, punish them
2
Make Germans rebuild devastated countries
2
Give people a chance to choose their own Government
6
Stamp out present regime and re-educate people
4
Miscellaneous
9
No answer, don't know
7
Q 3: “If there were a General Election tomorrow, how would you vote?”
Total
%
Labour
40
Conservative
20
27
“National”
6
“For the Government”
1
Liberal
10
Communist
4
Common Wealth
2
Miscellaneous
3
Would not vote, uncertain
14
Note
:
These results should be treated with extreme caution, The question made no mention of personalities, and these are likely to be potent factors. (see previous results to the question: “If anything should happen to Mr. Churchill, who would you like to see succeed him as Prime Minister?”
