§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of under-16-year-olds who regularly play fruit machines; and if he will make a statement. [1969]
§ Mr. KirkhopeStatistics on the use of gaming machines are not available.
We have not carried out recent research on the subject but we understand that an independent survey of school children was carried out this summer drawn from 12 schools in the east, north-east and south-west of England. Out of 1,665 pupils aged 12 to 15, 10 per cent. said that they played fruit machines at least once a week.