HC Deb 11 January 1993 vol 216 cc594-5W
Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will receive a delegation of betting shop employees before making any decision on the relaxation in licensing hours for betting shops.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

We have no present plans to do so. The views submitted by betting office staff following the consultation document published in October 1991 will be taken into account, along with those of all other interested parties.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the evening opening of betting shops on attendances at evening greyhound meetings.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The likely impact is uncertain and would depend on many variable factors. This is one of the issues to which we have been giving careful consideration in the light of the views submitted by greyhoud racing and others during the consultation process.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings Ministers or officials have had with members of the Betting Office Licensees Association since April.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

There have been no meetings with Ministers since April 1992, but one has been arranged for 13 January 1993. There have been two meetings with officials.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has had from employees of betting shops about the proposals to extend opening hours into the evening.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Since the consultation document was issued in October 1991, we have received 213 representations from betting office staff. In addition, we have received the results of a survey by A. R. Dennis bookmakers in which 4,167 betting office staff took part.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of the consultative document on the evening opening of licenced betting offices were sent out in(a) 1991 and (b) 1992; how many respondents there have been to the document; how many were in favour and how many were against.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Fifty-eight copies of the consultation document were issued in October 1991. No record has since been kept of the number of copies issued on request. Since October 1991, we have received 824 representations, of which 775 were against evening opening and 49 were in favour. We have also received three petitions with more than 2,000 signatures from greyhound racing supporters opposed to evening opening.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the petition from Gordon Dennis and the survey carried out by A. R. Dennis among betting office staff concerning evening opening; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The material submitted by A. R. Dennis is being considered alongside the representations from all other interested parties. We will announce our conclusions as soon as possible.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from members of the public since April over extending the licensing hours of betting shops; how many have been in favour; and how many against.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Since April, we have received 199 representations from members of the public, mainly bookmakers, their staff, or those with an interest in greyhound racing. Of these, five were in favour and 194 were opposed. We have also received the results of a survey by A. R. Dennis bookmakers. Of 475 bookmakers who took part, 439 were opposed. Of 4,167 betting office staff who took part, 4,046 were opposed to evening opening.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that agreement should be reached amongst all affected parties before any relaxation in the licensing hours of betting shops takes place.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

I do not consider that such a policy would be either practicable or reasonable.