§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has as to how much money children under 18 years and under 16 years are spending on fruit machines.
§ Mr. John PattenThe research carried out by the Home Office research and planning unit "Amusement Machines: Dependency and Delinquency" (research study No. 101) provides estimates for the amount of money spent by young people under the age of 17 on amusement-with-prizes (fruit) machines. No figures are provided for those aged 17 and the figures are not broken down for the ages under 17, and this information is not otherwise available.
The figures are set out in detail in paragraph 4 of the report. In summary, from the sample of 10 to 16-year-olds, 71 per cent. of fruit machine players spent less than £1 per week, 17 per cent. spent £1 to £2 per week and 10 per cent spent more than £2. The figures should properly be viewed in relation to the amount of spending money available to the players per week and the proportion of this which was spent on fruit machines; and estimates for these are given in the report.
§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ban children under 18 years from playing fruit machines.
§ Mr. John PattenNo. I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon North (Mr. Gorst) on 28 July at columns423–24.