§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take to enable football pools companies to pay small winnings in retail outlets, to operate on an equal footing with the national lottery through the subsidy of prize money and to remove16W restrictions on the type of events on which pools may be based.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythMy hon. Friend announced during the course of the debate on the motion on the Adjournment on 10 February,Official Report, column 642, that licensed betting offices should be permitted to pay pools winnings. I intend to bring forward an order under section 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 later this year, following consultation.
I am currently reviewing the scope for further deregulation and have asked officials to discuss a range of issues with the Pool Promoters Association.