§ 2.2 am
§ Mr. Roy Beggs (Antrim, East)I beg to ask leave to present a petition containing signatures collected by my constituents in the historic town and borough of Carrickfergus in East Antrim. My petitioners are concerned that children and teenagers are at risk of becoming addicted to slot, fruit and gaming machines and that addiction to such machines might lead to serious damage to their education, disruptive behaviour in the home and in some cases to criminal activity in order to satisfy their addiction to gambling on machines. The petitioners believe that the Government could protect children, young teenagers and the families of those at risk by amending legislation.
I congratulate those who signed and those who collected the 3,558 signatures which are considered to be representative of the views of millions of responsible citizens throughout the United Kingdom.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will do everything in its power to urge the Government to help protect children, young teenagers and the families of those at risk by urgently amending legislation so as to restrict the installation of these machines to licensed premises where adults only have access to them.And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray, etc.
§ To lie upon the Table.