Debates between Steve Reed and David Lammy during the 2015-2017 Parliament

Riot Compensation Bill

Debate between Steve Reed and David Lammy
Wednesday 13th January 2016

(8 years, 5 months ago)

Public Bill Committees
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Steve Reed Portrait Mr Reed
- Hansard - -

My hon. Friend is making an important point. In a riot, police resources are necessarily overstretched and they have to prioritise, and they tend to prioritise the wealthier areas. Once again it is the poorer businesses that can least afford the loss that suffer. It is those areas that would be affected by the inability to claim above the cap. What is my right hon. Friend’s view on that?

David Lammy Portrait Mr Lammy
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend makes a good point. He and I are regular soldiers in the fight for very poor areas. With regard to the £1 million cap, I would say that the 2011 riots were unusual. As a Londoner born and bred, I would never have imagined that on the second day I would see the constituency of Ealing Central and Acton caught up in the riots.