Peppiatt Committee (Recommendations) (Hansard, 3 May 1960)

§ 64. Mr. E. JOHNSON
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to state his conclusions regarding the findings of the Peppiatt Committee.

§ 65. Mr. FLETCHER
TO ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now announce the intentions of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the recommendations of the Peppiatt Committee.

§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Dennis Vosper)
I will, with permission, now answer Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together.
The Government have considered the recommendations of the Committee in favour of a compulsory statutory levy on betting on horse racing, and are disposed, subject to consultations which are in progress, to accept them in principle. The administrative arrangements for putting them into effect will, however, be rather complicated, and a great deal of work will be needed in preparing the necessary legislation.
In these circumstances it will not be possible to put down Amendments for the Report stage of the Betting and Gaming Bill. My right hon. Friend will, however, press on as rapidly as possible with the work and consultations involved, with a view to giving legislative effect to the Committee's proposals at an early opportunity and in sufficient time to enable the Committee's proposed timetable to be followed.

§ Mr. Fletcher
Is not this most unsatisfactory? Does not the Minister recall that both during the Second Reading debate and during the prolonged discussions in Committee hon. Members were invited to take decisions on the Bill on the basis that the recommendations of the Peppiatt Committee, if approved by the Government, would be incorporated in the Bill? Does the statement by the Minister mean that the terms of reference to the Peppiatt Committee were so inadequate that it is now impossible 886 to carry out the intentions of the Government as indicated on Second Reading?
Finally, would the Minister clarify what is meant with reference to the proposed timetable? Does that mean that if the Bill is passed the operation of its provisions will be postponed until the Government have pursued their negotiations relating to the recommendations for a levy?

§ Mr. Vosper
I recall that during the Second Reading debate my right hon. Friend said that we shall do our best either to include the recommendations in the Bill, or to give them the force of law. That pledge still stands. I think that it must be clear to the hon. Member and to the House that a great deal of work remains to be done despite the recommendations of the Peppiatt Committee, and that to include this in a form ready for debate this week on the Report stage of the Bill is not a practical proposition.
If the hon. Member will look at the timetable at the back of the Peppiatt Report, he will see that legislative effect must be given by the early months of next year, and that is what my Answer was understood to indicate.

§ Mr. E. Johnson
May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he is aware that the speedy decision to accept the proposals of the Peppiatt Committee will be welcomed by all those connected with racing? May I ask whether the levy to be paid by the bookmakers will be allowed as a deduction for taxation purposes, in which case will steps be taken so that the distribution by the Racecourse Betting Control Board is also free of tax?

§ Mr. Vosper
I am sure that my right hon. Friend would like to be associated with any tribute paid to the Peppiatt Committee for what has been a very speedy Report. I am sure that my hon. Friend will realise that taxation is one of the issues which are receiving further consideration at the present time.

§ Miss Bacon
Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether or not the decision to accept these prosopals in principle means that the Government accept in principle the figure of £1 million or £1¼ million, or do they merely accept a figure?

§ Mr. Vosper
The figure was a fairly definite part of the Peppiatt proposals and my statement to the effect that the Government are disposed to accept the recommendations in principle includes some reference to that figure.

§ Mr. Wigg
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that millions of punters will welcome the decision of the Government as the first step towards giving better starting prices and providing better facilities for those who go racing? May we take it that the right hon. Gentleman is giving an undertaking that the Government will introduce legislation next Session? Will the right hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend to consider the possibility that the consultations which are to take place will include a debate in the House of Commons? Would not it be an excellent thing if the Government provided facilities for the Peppiatt Report to be debated in anticipation of this legislation?

§ Mr. Vosper
I do not want to go beyond my original Answer. The hon. Gentleman's assumption is correct with respect to the first point he raised. The question of a debate hardly rests with me, but I think that my right hon. Friend would welcome expressions of opinion by hon. Members if an opportunity did arise.