§ Mr. Blackburn (Birmingham, Northfield)I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make compulsory the regular publication of accounts and information by persons promoting pool betting; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.The principle behind this Bill is to make compulsory the regular publication of information and accounts by persons who promote pool betting. There are, it is estimated, about 7¾ million people in this country who fill in football pools every Thursday or Friday, and the total number of people who engage in one form or another is 14 million. The total sum staked annually is well over £50 million. There is no question, therefore, that this is an established and popular pastime. The courts have held that the filling in of football pools is not engaging in a lottery, and, therefore, this is a perfectly legal occupation. In view of the 954 sums involved and the numbers of people engaged in football pools, it is only right and proper that the fullest information should be made available as to the financial arrangements involved.All the companies concerned are exempt from the obligation to publish their accounts, because they are all either exempt private companies or private partnerships. There is no public company engaged in this business. Totalisator betting on horse racecourses is already amply controlled by the provisions of the Race Course Betting Control Act, 1928, and totalisator betting on greyhound racing is covered by the Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934. As to the comparable activities of football pools, there is no similar provision. It is in the interests both of the participants and of all concerned with the good repute of the business to put this matter right.
In the Bill which I propose to introduce, the following principles will be established. First, that the pool promoters should be obliged to publish briefly on the back of their coupons information about similar pools promoted by them for some previous agreed relevant period. This information would give, in respect of each individual pool, say, the pool for the three weeks before—and all this will be left to the discretion of the Home Secretary in regulations under the Bill—figures showing the exact amount subscribed, how much was deducted for taxation, commission and expenses, how much was distributed and by what dividends.
Secondly, that the promoters of these pool betting schemes should publish every year an annual report giving the complete accounts and information on the money subscribed, expended and distributed, and that these accounts should be duly certified by an independent qualified accountant to be appointed by the Home Secretary or under regulations approved by him. Thirdly, and this is all, that these accountants should then have access to and a right of inspection of all the necessary books and accounts so as to verify the accounts which have been submitted. I hope that this House will give leave to introduce the Bill.
§ Mrs. Braddock (Liverpool, Exchange)My interest in this matter is purely a constituency one. The biggest pool in 955 the country has its head offices in my constituency. I have no other interest at all, because I would not know how to start to fill up a coupon for a football pool if I tried.
The point I want to put is this. At the moment, the Royal Commission appointed by the Government to look into the whole question of gambling law as it stands at present has been spending a lot of time making inquiries, taking verbal and written evidence, and I understand that its task is almost completed. I understand that very shortly it will be making a report on what alterations there should be relating to the law of gambling in all its aspects.
I think that the suggestion contained in this Bill is, in some little way, a slight on the Commission in relation to this matter. The evidence that has been taken from them has been given freely by the Pool Promoters' Association, who, I understand, are prepared to help in any way and are not complaining about the arrangements made to put forward their point of view. It is appreciated, I think, all over the country that the fact that there have been alterations of a small character in the betting regulations has caused the law itself to be brought very much into disrepute, and it was because 956 of the fact that it was necessary to look into this matter further, that the Royal Commission was set up.
I think it would be very much more use to the country as a whole if we were to wait for the Report from the Royal Commission to find out exactly what are its recommendations, which could then be the subject of a general discussion in this House, when everybody would be able to put a particular point of view in the light of the recommendations suggested by the Commission. For that reason, I hope the House will not give leave to introduce the Bill, as I consider that it would be a slight on the Royal Commission.
Question put, and agreed to.
Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Lang, Brigadier Clarke, Mr. Hopkin Morris, Mr. Garner-Evans, Mr. Nally, Mr. Gunter, and Mr. Charles Ian Orr-Ewing.