APPENDIX
British Institute of Public Opinion
For internal circulation only
The following results of a survey, made in mid-January, 1944, have been received.
The survey was not sponsored by Home Intelligence Division.
I.
Sunday opening of cinemas
Q: “
Do you approve or disapprove during wartime of the Sunday opening of cinemas
?”
Approve
Disapprove
Don't know
%
%
%
Total - September 1941
71
23
6
Total - January 1944
67
28
5
Age groups:
21 - 29
83
15
2
30 - 49
71
24
5
50 and over
59
35
6
Regional analysis:
Scotland
61
36
3
Wales
48
46
6
Analysis by sex, economic group, and by region inside England yielded no significant differences.
Approve
Disapprove
Don't know
%
%
%
Total - September 1941
67
26
7
Total - January 1944
58
34
8
Age groups:
21 - 29
68
27
5
30 - 49
62
30
8
50 and over
51
40
9
Economic groups:
Higher
54
40
6
Middle
60
35
5
Lower
58
33
9
Regional analysis:
Scotland
57
40
3
Wales
42
52
6
Other analyses yielded no significant differences.
Q: “
If the law has to be changed to allow Sunday opening, would you approve or disapprove of the law being changed?
”
Approve
Disapprove
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
60
31
9
Age groups:
21 - 29
75
20
5
30 - 49
60
30
10
50 and over
52
38
10
Regional analysis:
Scotland
49
43
8
Wales
47
47
6
Other analyses yielded no significant differences.
COMMENTS
:
1. About twice as many people favour the Sunday opening of cinemas as do not do so - except in Scotland and Wales where the majority in favour is much smaller.
2. With regard to theatres, the majority in favour is smaller but still substantial. In Wales, the majority is against opening.
3. Younger people are overwhelmingly in favour of the Sunday opening of cinemas, but considerably less strongly in favour of the Sunday opening of theatres - perhaps a reflection of their present entertainment habits.
4. The differences between Scotland and Wales in the first two questions are striking.
2.
Ideal Size of Family
Q: “
What do you think is the ideal number of children in a family
?”
None
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 and more
No answer
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
January 1939
3
1
37
28
20
4
3
1
3
January 1944
1
4
34
25
24
4
3
1
4
COMMENTS
:
1. The slight change over 5 years is not statistically significant.
2. The increase in the birth rate since the war appears, therefore, to be due to factors other than a change in basic attitude towards family size.
3. The figures suggest that the one-child family is not something which is inherently desired, but is rather forced on people by outside circumstances.
3.
Food before the war, and now
Q: “
Compared with your family's food before the war, do you think that today they are having better or worse food
?”
Better
Same
Worse
%
%
%
Total:
9
24
67
Men
10
20
70
Women
9
27
64
Age groups:
50 and over
9
21
70
Economic groups:
Upper
13
20
67
Factory and other industrial workers
14
20
66
Other groups, in the analyses, showed no significant differences from the total.
The only comments made by more than 5% of the public were as follows:-
Rations too small; food not enough
16%
Inferior quality; too stodgy
15%
Not enough variety
15%
Our food is better balanced
11%
Q: “
If more sugar were available, which would you like to see increased, the sugar ration, chocolates and sweets, cakes and biscuits, or jam
?”
Sugar
Chocolates and sweets
Cakes and Biscuits
Jam
%
%
%
%
Total:
67
17
7
9
Age groups:
21 - 29
54
35
5
6
50 and over
69
12
8
11
Other groups, in the analyses, showed no significant differences from the total.
4.
The Government
Q: “
Do you approve or disapprove of Mr. Churchill as Prime Minister
?”
Approve
Disapprove
Don't know
%
%
%
August 1943
93
5
2
November 1943
91
6
3
January 1944
89
7
4
The differences over the last 6 months are not statistically significant.
Q: “
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Government's conduct of the war
?”
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Don't know
%
%
%
June 1943
75
13
12
August 1943
81
12
7
November 1943
74
17
9
January 1944
69
16
15
5.
Postwar
Q: “
Do you think that you, personally, will have difficulty in finding work after the war
?
Will have difficulty
Will not have difficulty
Will not be working
Don't know
%
%
%
%
Total:
16
47
28
9
Men
19
60
11
10
Women
13
34
45
8
Age groups:
50 and over
13
36
42
9
Other age groups show no significant differences from total.
Economic groups:
Higher
6
70
21
2
Middle
11
61
23
5
Lower
18
40
31
11
Occupational groups:
Professional, salaried, executive
5
91
1
3
Proprietors of shops or businesses
3
80
8
9
Salaried: clerical
12
81
4
3
Factory, industrial
32
51
1
16
Miners
31
50
3
16
Agricultural workers
15
70
7
8
All others on weekly wages
23
58
4
15
Note the high degree of uncertainty for the future among industrial workers and miners.
Q: “When do you think there should be a General Election
Total
Higher Economic Group
%
%
Within the next few months
,
12
10
As soon as Germany is defeated
,
22
11
6 months after Germany is defeated
,
24
25
12 months after Germany is defeated
?”
36
52
Don't know
6
2
Other groups showed no significant differences from the total figures.
Q: “
The Russians say that the Germans will have to help rebuild the countries they have destroyed
.
Do you agree or disagree
?”
Agree
Disagree
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
70
15
15
Q: “
After the war, should the Women's Services (A.T.S., W.A.A.F., W.R.N.S.) continue, or should they be discontinued
?”
Continued
Discontinued
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
34
51
15
Men
31
55
14
Women
37
46
17
Age groups:
21 - 29
46
44
10
Economic groups:
Higher
41
53
6
Middle
30
60
10
Other groups showed no significant differences from the total figures.
