HC Deb 21 November 1974 vol 881 cc1509-10
12. Mr. Pardoe

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate from information available to him, the expenditure on gambling in the United Kingdom; and if he is able to compare this expenditure per head of population with that in other industrial countries.

Dr. Summerskill

The estimated expenditure on gambling in the United Kingdom in 1973, excluding sums returned in the form of winnings, was about £441 million, or about £11 per head of the population aged 18 and over. Comparable figures for other countries are not available. It is estimated by the Gaming Board that the total turnover is about £2,350 million.

Mr. Pardoe

Will the hon. Lady accept from me that we now spend more per head of population on gambling than any other country in the world? Would she care to ask her right hon. Friend, as a noted historian, why this might be, and whether there is any connection between this tendency and the decline of a nation? Will she say why the Government have steadfastly refused to use this splendid tendency to enhance the revenue to the national Exchequer and thereby reduce the Government's deficit?

Dr. Summerskill

Questions on taxation of gambling should be directed to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. As to the morals, the principle underlying gambling law is that there should be as little interference as possible with the individual's freedom to gamble, but there should be provisions preventing fraud, abuse and the excessive stimulation of gambling.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

Will my hon. Friend say on what basis the figure of £441 million is worked out? Does it include all forms of gaming—gambling, horse-racing, the Stock Exchange? Many of us on this side of the House believe that more than the figure given by my hon. Friend is turned over in the course of a few weeks on the Stock Exchange.

Dr. Summerskill

I sympathise with the view behind my hon. Friend's question. But the figures I gave relate principally to horse-racing, dogs, cricket, boxing, elections, football pools, casinos, bingo and lotteries.