BETTING (JUVENILE MESSENGERS) (SCOTLAND). (Hansard, 15 March 1927)

§ Mr. WESTWOOD

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the use of young persons in the conveyance or delivery of messages or information relating to betting; and for purposes connected therewith. 1861 I do not propose to enter into the merits or otherwise of betting so far as adults are concerned. The purpose of this Bill is in some way to seek to safeguard our children from being used for carrying messages or acting as messengers in connection with betting in any shape or form. The short Bill that I am seeking to introduce is backed by the Executive of the Education Authorities in Scotland, who set up a committee, on which the Noble Lady who is now Parliamentary Secretary to the English Board of Education sat for several years, for the purpose of inquiring into this growing evil. Several education authorities, and particularly those of the scheduled burghs in Scotland, have been carrying through very far-reaching inquiries and investigations into this evil, and they have collected a most amazing mass of facts, which go to prove that the evil is growing in our midst, and as the education authorities have the responsibility for looking after our children, the Executive of the Education Authorities, of which I happen to be a member, have asked me to present this Bill to the House. I sincerely trust it will have a unanimous backing in this House, and that, as there is no Bill on the stocks at the moment, so far as Scotland is concerned, it will be given facilities by the Government so that it can be discussed in the Scottish Standing Committee. The Bill is of one Clause only as far as its operative work is concerned. It will make it an offence for anyone to use a young person under 16 years of age for the purpose of carrying slips or messages in connection with betting. It will seek to impose a fine, for the first offence, up to a maximum of £20, and, in the case of a second offence, it will increase that maximum to and will also give Justices of the Peace or magistrates, as the case may be, the opportunity of giving, if necessary, even hard labour for adults using children for the purpose of carrying betting messages. I cannot do better than quote a few statements that were made by the Home Secretary during the Debate on Friday, in which he said: The law has to take note of the beginnings of evil amongst the children of our land. While it may be right or wrong, from whichever point of view we like to view 1862 it, for adults to take part in betting, I submit that it is wrong to use children for the purpose of carrying betting messages. We ought to give them the chance of getting the best opportunities and the best teaching, and we are responsible for passing laws to avoid that which is wrong being taught to our children. Another statement made by the Home Secretary was: We have no right to allow the tares which are interfering with the lives of young children grow together with the good wheat which is being taught to them in the elementary schools.—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 11th March, 1927; col. 1604, Vol. 203.] In Scotland, I believe, we have as tine a body of teachers as there is in Great Britain. They are doing all in their power to educate our children in the best of ethics and the best of morals. They find, as far as our big cities are concerned, that much of their effort is being wasted because of outside agencies being used for the purpose of detracting from the teaching which they are giving to our children, and one of the agencies is this of using young children for the purpose of carrying messages, and ultimately turning them out as gamblers, or at least a section of our young persons. This Bill is to be backed by representatives of all parties in the House. It is backed by the representatives of all the scheduled parishes in Scotland, and representatives of Liberal, Tory and Labour are prepared to back this Bill in the hope that opportunity will be given for trying, in some small measure, to save our children from, being taught how to become gamblers, and to try to keep them in the path of rectitude.