Background
Beatrice Katz was brought up in the East End of London, the daughter of Jewish refugees from central Europe.
Beatrice Katz was brought up in the East End of London, the daughter of Jewish refugees from central Europe.
Honorary Fellow, 1976).
She was nicknamed "Bea" or "Bee" from an early age. He qualified as a civil engineer Two years later, a daughter, Judith, was born, who later pursued a career in the arts
Harold Wilson appointed her as a Government Whip almost immediately and then proposed her for the sensitive post of deputy to Richard Crossman, having refused to promote Roy Hattersley, whom he suspected of disloyalty.
She had never been an Member of Parliament herself, but became a thoroughly competent administrator. Until the end of her life she was devoted to Hampstead.
She became a Chief Whip when she was on the Greater London Council, a post that would stand her in good stead later. She was vice-chairwoman of the Inner London Authority, holding this post for three years until 1967.
lieutenant was her distinguished career in local government and the work that she did for children which brought her the recognition of a seat in the House of Lords as a recognised authority on the subject.
She had also chaired the LCC children"s committee for seven years. She was chair of the advisory council on the penal system, and the first ombudsman for local government. She served on the Longford Committee on Crime and on the Latey Committee, which led to the lowering of the age of majority to 18.
In the House of Lords, she became a Deputy Speaker in 1985, and then the principal deputy chairwoman of committees.
She had been a member of the old Hampstead Borough Council immediately after the Second World War and subsequently served successively on the London County Council, as the member for Brixton, and the Greater London Council, as the member for Lambeth. She was a member of the Community Relations Commission and the British Broadcasting Corporation Complaints Commission and a British Broadcasting Corporation Governor.