SECRET
HOME INTELLIGENCE DIVISION
.
APPENDIX
Results of a survey by the British Institute of Public Opinion
FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY.
The following results of a survey completed on 15th November 1942 have been supplied to the Home Intelligence Division. The survey was
not
sponsored, however, by the Division. The results this month have considerable interest, since they are concerned with matters which have figured prominently in our own weekly reports. The subjects dealt with include: Transport, Petrol, Fuel, Food, and Social Security. It is worth noting that, in the case of each of the first four subjects, there is greater satisfaction among the upper income groups than among the lower.
1.
Transport
Q: Do you feel that war-time transport arrangements for you to get to and from work are reasonable, or that you have grounds for complaint?
Result:
Reasonable
Complaint
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
70
24
6
Men
73
22
5
Women
65
28
7
Economic Groups:
Upper
77
19
4
Middle
76
21
3
Lower
68
25
7
Factory, transport, & heavy industry Workers
69
27
4
All other weekly wage earners
68
25
7
Geographical groups:
London & S.E.
73
22
5
Rest of England
72
22
6
Wales
68
28
4
Scotland
58
35
7
Notes
:
a. A similar survey, conducted in August 1942, showed 81.4% of
workers
satisfied with transport arrangements for getting to work, 17.4% dissatisfied, and 1.2% doubtful.
In the past three months, there appears to have been a decline of over 10% in satisfaction.
b. The same question was asked by B.I.P.O. exactly a year ago, in November 1941. The result then was 71% satisfied, and 29% dissatisfied.
c. It would appear, therefore, that the increase in complaints about transport in the past three months is a seasonal phenomenon, and there is no increase in dissatisfaction as compared with the same period last year.
2.
Petrol
Q: Do you think that petrol rationing is tight enough?
Result:
Yes
:
No
:
Don't know
:
%
%
%
Total:
29
49
22
Men
33
53
14
Women
26
43
31
Economic groups:
Higher
54
36
10
Middle
33
54
13
Lower
26
48
26
Notes
:
a. People in the poorer and middle-income groups are markedly less satisfied than richer people. Though many poorer people presumably have little first-hand knowledge of petrol rationing, this should not apply to middle-income groups.
b. Typical complaints were:
“I see plenty of business men going to work in big cars on routes where buses are running”.
“Why should people have petrol for going to church?”
“There are plenty of cars at the dogs”.
“Taxis arrange relay systems to get round the regulations”.
c. These results confirm Home Intelligence qualitative findings over the past month.
3.
Fuel
Q: Do you think the Government is handling the fuel situation well or badly?
Result:
Well
Badly
Neither
Don't know
%
%
%
%
Total:
46
23
15
16
Men
44
25
17
14
Women
48
20
14
18
Economic groups:
Higher
55
24
13
8
Middle
44
25
17
14
Lower
46
22
15
17
Spontaneous comments:
%
Things all right so far; voluntary system working all right
25
There should be rationing
10
Situation need never have arisen
8
Can't get delivery
3
Miscellaneous
11
No comment
43
Notes
:
a. Many of those who were satisfied felt that the testing time had not yet arrived, but would come later in the winter.
b. In answer to a direct question one month previously, a small majority answered in favour of fuel rationing. The above results show that many of those who favoured fuel rationing do not favour it sufficiently strongly to condemn the present voluntary measures.
c. These results confirm the qualitative findings of Home Intelligence.
4.
Food
:
Q: If it would save shipping for the war effort, could you do with a smaller amount of food and still be able to do your work properly?
Result:
Yes
No
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
45
46
9
Men
41
50
9
Women
49
42
9
Economic groups:
Higher
66
26
8
Middle
50
42
8
Lower
42
49
9
Factory, transport and heavy industry workers
36
54
10
Total (April 1942: for comparison)
48
45
7
Notes
:
a. These figures reflect the general satisfaction with the food situation. The change in figures in the past eight months is not statistically significant.
b. The decrease in readiness for further sacrifice as the income decreases may be due partly to the greater choice of unrationed goods available to richer people. Probably a more important cause is the physically heavier work of the poorer classes, strongly reflected in the figures for industrial workers.
5.
Social Security
:
Q: “Even if it would mean your paying more insurance than you pay now, would you favour a Government Insurance Scheme which would give every unmarried adult, or every married couple, £2 a week or its equal in food, clothes and housing, when they are sick or unemployed?”
Result:
Yes
No
Don't know
%
%
%
Total:
70
16
14
Men
71
19
10
Women
68
13
19
Age groups:
21 - 29
73
13
14
30 - 49
71
16
13
50 and over
66
17
17
Economic groups
Higher
64
21
15
Middle
67
19
14
Lower
70
16
14
Notes
:
a. This question was asked two weeks before the Beveridge report was published.
b. Almost all the public support the principles of the scheme outlined, many remarking that the present unemployment and sickness benefits were “hopelessly inadequate” to meet minimum needs.
c. Feelings were more mixed about the size of the weekly contributions; the majority said they were prepared to pay more than at present, but about 10% said their incomes would not allow larger deductions. A group of similar size (sometimes overlapping with the first group) thought that the whole cost of the scheme should be borne[Text Missing] by the State. These two groups account for almost all of the 16% answering “no”.
d. A few people feared that such a scheme might lead to malingering.
e. There was strong feeling against any form of means test, particularly with regard to old age pensioners, and also against payment of benefits in kind, which were felt to carry “a taint of charity”.
f. Some contacts in the upper income groups expressed willingness to pay surprisingly large weekly contributions. Several mentioned 10s. a week.
g. Many people remarked that it was the duty of the Government to prevent large scale unemployment after the war.
h. These results strikingly confirm the qualitative findings of the Home Intelligence Special Report on Public Feeling about Post-war Reconstruction.
