§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, after the Featherstone riots, various recommendations were made in a Report issued to Parliament as to the use of troops in aid of the civil power; whether the recommendations of that report were under the consideration both of the Home Office and of the War Office, in the time of the late Government, for a prolonged period; whether fresh consideration has recently been given to the matter; and whether it is intended to lay before Parliament any circulars with regard to it which may have been recently issued?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir M. W. RIDLEY,) Lancashire, BlackpoolTwo Reports were presented to Parliament—the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the Featherstone disturbances and the Report of the Committee appointed to consider the question of the precautions and steps to be taken in case of riots or apprehended riots. The latter Committee included representatives of the Home Office and War Office, and their Report was immediately communicated to both military and civil authorities. No necessity has since arisen for reconsidering the general principles which that Report laid down and which appear to work well, and no circulars on the subject have been recently issued.
§ SIR CHARLES DILKEThen the statement in the papers that the subject has been reconsidered and a fresh circular issued is a mistake?