Riot Compensation Bill passes
Croydon North MP Steve Reed has welcomed the new Riot Compensation Act, which became law on 23 March.
The Act updates the existing 1886 riot compensation laws which were found to be woefully out of date following the 2011 riots during which areas of Croydon were hit particularly hard.
One of Steve Reed’s aims in his role as MP for Croydon North has been to raise the issue of support for riot victims, noting in his maiden speech that ‘the help and investment promised after last year’s riots have not come through’.
Mr Reed served on the committee which scrutinised the proposals before becoming law. The committee amended the legislation to clarify compensation timescales and allow for consequential losses to be claimed if the claimant could not return to their home immediately.
Commenting on the new laws, Steve Reed MP said:
Croydon’s businesses and residents suffered terrible losses in the 2011 riots which hit our community very hard.
These new laws are a welcome step forward to ensure that if the worst happens again, there will be a better system in place to deal with compensation.
However, there is lots to be done to ensure that people are treated more fairly if there were to be a repeat. I’ll continue to argue for a stronger voice for communities in overseeing compensation, and seek assurances that generous public donations are not deducted from official compensation.
Steven Reed is Labour MP for Croydon North and Shadow Minister for Children and Families. In 2018 his private member’s bill on reducing violent mental health restraint became law. In June 2019 he launched Labour’s civil society strategy outlining radical plans to empower citizens and communities.
Steve chairs the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network, co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London, was Leader of Lambeth Council 2006-12 where he led the council’s children’s services to become best-rated in the country and pioneered the public-health approach to tackling violent youth crime. He worked in publishing for 16 years and was an elected trade union branch secretary.