§ 8. Mr. John Greenway (Ryedale) (Con)What plans she has to promote social responsibility within the gambling industry. [166147]
§ The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell)I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman and his Committee for its excellent work in scrutinising the draft gambling Bill. The Government will respond in the next two months. This is another good example of how pre-legislative scrutiny for Bills of this kind is critical to ensuring that a proper balance is struck between modernising the law and the right level of protection for the public. It is important to make it clear that the modernisation of what are widely 14 recognised as outdated gambling laws will be characterised not by a free-for-all, as has been misleadingly reported, but by a clear obligation on all gambling businesses to act in a socially responsible way, for which the hon. Gentleman's Committee argued so powerfully.
§ Mr. GreenwayI am grateful for the right hon. Lady's response. The common threads running through the Joint Committee's report are concern about problem gambling and the need to ensure that reform does not lead to any increase in it. When she considers all the report's conclusions, which I appreciate will take some time, will she bear in mind the importance of retaining a crime-free and socially responsible gambling industry in the United Kingdom and avoiding the problems that lead to problem gambling, which are associated with too-easy access to high-value gaming machines?
§ Tessa JowellI do indeed accept the point that the hon. Gentleman makes. The three licensing objectives that form the architecture for the legislation—fairness, keeping gambling crime free and protection of children—are a practical expression of the broader objective of social responsibility on the part of those who are involved in the industry. In pursuit of getting the balance right, and because I share so strongly the concerns that people should continue to be protected, that we do not see a disproportionate increase in problem gambling, and that children do not gain greater access to gambling, I have consulted widely with the Churches and with children's organisations so that we are well aware of their views as the legislation takes its final form.