§ Sir Ivan LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to amend the law on betting licensing.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI have today issued a consultation document on possible changes to the law on betting permits and licences and track betting licences in Great Britain.
Subject to the consultation, the Government intend to make an order under section 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 to implement these changes. It is hoped to bring the draft order before Parliament in spring 1995.
The purpose of the consultation document is to give details of the proposed changes and to seek the views of interested parties. Briefly, it is proposed to:
extend the duration of bookmakers permits and betting office licences from one year to three years,simplify the procedure for renewal applications, and introduce a renewal procedure for the licensing of betting tracks.Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library.