Ministry of Reconstruction
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The Ministry of Reconstruction was a department of the United Kingdom government which existed after both World War I and World War II in order to provide for the needs of the population in the post war years.
[edit] World War I
The Ministry of Reconstruction was originally established by the Lloyd George government of 1917 and covered a wide range of political and social areas, including:
- administrative reform
- the role of women in society
- employment
- industrial relations
- housing
It was led by Christopher Addison and was "charged with overseeing the task of rebuilding 'the national life on a better and more durable foundation' once the Great War was over." [[1]]
The Ministry addressed the issues of prolonged strike action by workers, many of whom were demobilised toops. 2.4 million British workers were involved in strike action in 1919 [[2]], in what the government perceived as a threat to the development of the economy.
[edit] World War II
The second Ministry of Reconstruction was established in November 1943 and headed initially by Lord Woolton, replacing the Reconstruction Department of Alix Kilroy which had existed for just ten months.
