§ MR. H. J. WILSON (York, W.R., Holmfirth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in cases where disturbances take place, and property is damaged, and the Riot Act read, who is responsible for the compensation to be paid to the sufferers?
§ MR. ASQUITHThe Riot and Disturbance Act of 1886 provides that where property in a police district is injured by persons riotously and tumultuously assembled the compensation has to be paid out of the Police Rate of the district, and, therefore, the whole of the ratepayers suffer for the acts of a few.