Mr. Gareth R. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to reform gambling legislation; and if she will make a statement. [781]
§ Mr. CabornThe Government announced an Independent Review of the law on gambling on 8 December 1999,Official Report, column 534W, and the Review Body's term of reference on 16 February 2000, Official Report, column 537W. We expect to receive its report shortly. We will give it careful consideration before deciding what changes to make to the legislation.
We will also take account of this report when we consider how to progress the regulatory reform proposals for modernising the methods of payment in gaming machines which were set out in a Home Office consultation paper in March 2001, and the proposals for changes to the law on bingo clubs which were considered in the last session by the Deregulation Committees of both Houses.