§ 11. Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to compel football pools firms to inform punters and return the bets of all entries which arrive after 3 p.m. on Saturdays; and whether he will implement paragraph 62 of the Interdepartmental Working Party on Lotteries.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe Government have not completed their consideration of the working party's report. My right hon. Friend cannot yet say whether he will wish to propose any legislation to bring the rules of football pool competitions under stricter control.
§ Mr. AshtonWill the Government please get a move on, after a year? Is my hon. Friend aware that if only 1 per cent. of entries are late £2 million of punters' money is kept back by the pools, without a fair bet? Is it not time that 1509 rules on pools came under the Gaming Board instead of local authorities, because the pools have complete carte blanche?
§ Dr. SummerskillThe working party's report is fairly complicated. It deals with a wide range of subjects, some of them very controversial. It is necessary to consider the whole of football pool legislation and not deal with it piecemeal.