§ Mr. Watsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to seek to amend the gaming laws in order to enable public houses to operate fruit machines in such a way as to compete on equal terms with clubs.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe Royal Commission on Gambling did not recommend that the use of gaming machines in public houses and clubs should be subject to the same controls. I am currently considering the commission's various recommendations on gaming, but cannot yet say what the outcome will be.
§ Mr. Watsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to give courts the power to ban people convicted of offences of violence from entering public houses.
§ Mr. WhitelawThere are no plans for Government legislation on this subject in the current parliamentary Session, but I have said to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, Central (Mr. Grant) that I shall be glad to meet him to discuss the content of a possible Private Member's Bill on the subject.