Gambling: Loot Boxes

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Thursday 19th May 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

As part of our review, we are of course looking at examples from around the world to see what other jurisdictions have done and will set out our responses in due course.

[Baroness Fookes (Con)]

My Lords, as I do not gamble, can somebody please tell me what a loot box is and how it works?

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

My noble friend asks a good question and one which I had to ask in preparing for this. In brief, a loot box is a prize which can be won in an online game. It could be a superpower for your character, or it could be a new player for your virtual football team. They take many forms, but they are prizes which have no monetary value; their worth is to be played in the game.

Gambling Harm (Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry Committee Report)

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 27th April 2022 Grand Committee

Motion agreed.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Fookes) (Con)]

I propose to allow a few moments for the changeover to take place before I announce the next business.

Social Media: Offensive Material

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

Just to be clear, I was speaking on behalf of the Government in conversation with the police. The noble Lord will be aware that the primary responsibility for this matter sits with the Home Office. The police are independent in how they pursue these cases.

[Baroness Fookes (Con)]

My Lords, I share the concern of the noble Lord, Lord McConnell, about ordinary people who are humiliated and persecuted. May I suggest to my noble friend that, when looking at strengthening the law, the Government look at increasing penalties on media companies that do not obey the laws? Nothing has more effect than hitting the pocket.

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My noble friend is quite right and the framework will aim to protect all users, particularly children and vulnerable users. As for hitting the pocket, she may be aware that the maximum fine that can be levied in future will be 10% of global turnover.

Gambling and Lotteries

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Monday 14th December 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I thank the noble Lord for his comments. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to assess the size of the black market as accurately as he would like, perhaps because of its very nature. However, I can say that the number of complaints to the Gambling Commission about black market operators remains unchanged, and that thanks to enforcement action by the commission, in partnership with financial payment providers, 59 unlicensed operators have been removed.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Fookes) (Con)]

I next call the noble Lord, Lord Smith of Hindhead. He is not present, so I call the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, I am sure the Minister is aware that Google this morning announced a new feature to allow users to block gambling and alcohol adverts. Given that this would allow potentially vulnerable people to protect themselves—reference has been made to the urgency of this with the online harms Bill coming—would the Government consider making it mandatory for companies to provide that feature on websites?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

Companies that avoid taxation illegally, whether they are gambling companies or any other companies, should be held to account for that. However, as the noble Lord is aware, gambling companies contribute about £3 billion to the Exchequer through the levy.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Fookes) (Con)]

My Lords, I am afraid that time is up on this item of business.

Seaside Resorts

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Monday 22nd June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran]

I think that I mentioned earlier that we are looking at a range of regulatory easements to facilitate the delivery of different services and extend the season.

[Baroness Fookes (Con) [V]]

I live in the seaside resort of Hastings and St Leonards—a borough that relies quite heavily on an influx of students coming to language schools. Unfortunately, language schools are not eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant fund. Do the Government have any other ways of helping them before they all disappear? Perhaps help could be made available through the Coastal Communities Fund, mentioned by my noble friend.

[Baroness Barran]

I will check on the specifics of language schools, but I assume that they are eligible for some of the wider cross-economy measures that the Chancellor announced, including, in particular, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. However, if there are additional points, I will be happy to write to my noble friend.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill [HL]

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 24th July 2019 Lords Chamber

Amendment 12 agreed.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Fookes) (Con)]

It may be convenient to take Amendments 13 to 29 formally en bloc.

Amendments 13 to 19

Moved by

Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill [HL]

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Tuesday 9th July 2019 Lords Chamber

Amendment 3 withdrawn.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Fookes) (Con)]

We turn to the revised version of Amendment 4, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, which is on the supplementary sheet.

Amendment 4

Moved by

Festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2022

Baroness Fookes Excerpts

Monday 18th March 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ashton of Hyde]

I agree with the noble Baroness that it is better if Ministers stay out of it. That is why the intention is to have a commissioning body that is independent of government. It will have £120 million of extra money to spend, but nobody has been appointed to it yet.

[Baroness Fookes (Con)]

My Lords, will my noble friend include the world of horticulture, given our magnificent gardens and parks and the world-class flower shows we have each year?

[Lord Ashton of Hyde]

My Lords, while I have great sympathy with my noble friend, I have just said that the delivery body will be independent of Ministers. However, I am sure it will take note of what my noble friend said.