Picture: MayorWatch
The Act requires the Police to compensate those whose property has been damaged or destroyed as a result from rioting.
The Met Police received almost 4,000 compensation claims for damage caused in London during last August’s riots.
A Home Office representative has told Assembly Members that Police forces have argued they should no longer have to provide compensation, while the insurance industry claims scrapping the Act would penalise areas where alternative cover would be hard to find.
Stephen Webb, Director of Finance and Strategy Directorate from the Home Office Crime and Policing Group, told AMs the department is now considering appointing an independent person to consult on changes.
He was appearing before the Assembly Budget & Performance Committee which is reviewing progress on implementing the recommendations of its report into recovery from the 2011 riots.
Committee Chair John Biggs said it was “disappointing to hear that nearly a year-and-a-half after problems with the Riot Damages Act were identified the Home Office is still some way from concluding its review.”
Mr Biggs added: “It would be an act of folly to kick this review into the long grass while keeping ministerial fingers crossed that last years riots are a never to be repeated event. The Committee will continue to press for substantive action to revise this century old piece of legislation.”
