Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the standstill period for the British Board of Film Classification's Guidance on Age-verification Arrangements ends; and when they intend to (1) lay that guidance before Parliament, and (2) announce the new date on which the age verification regime to prevent children accessing commercial pornography online will come into force.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned research into online pornography use and its effect on attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls; and if so, when that research will be published.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Government Equalities Office has commissioned research exploring legal pornography use and its influence on harmful behaviours and attitudes towards women and girls. The research is currently in the fieldwork phase and will be published in autumn 2019.
There are a number of existing pieces of research on the impact of pornography on young people and views towards age verification. S26(b) of the Digital Economy Act provides the regulator with the ability to carry out, commission or support research which it considers appropriate.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 20 July (HL Deb, cols 883–4), on what date the age verification requirements to protect children from accessing online pornography will come into effect.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Once the appropriate remedial actions have been undertaken to correct a procedural error announced on 20th June, we will announce further details on timings for commencement of age verification for online pornography, giving stakeholders sufficient time to prepare.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will implement the requirements in the Digital Economy Act 2017 in relation to age verification on websites with pornographic content.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Age verification for online pornography is a world-leading measure to protect our children from adult content which is currently far too easy to access online. The Government, and the British Board of Film Classification as the regulator, are taking the time to get the implementation of this policy right and ensure it is effective.
The government recently announced that from 15 July commercial providers of online pornography will be required by law to carry out robust age -verification checks on users, to ensure that they are 18 or over.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the 1.7 per cent of 11–16 year olds identified as problem gamblers by the Gambling Commission's research study, Young People and Gambling, published in November, what proportion have problem gambling behaviour associated with private bets.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the 1.7 per cent of 11–16 year olds identified as problem gamblers by the Gambling Commission's research study, Young People and Gambling, published in November, what proportion are legally playing the National Lottery.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the 1.7 per cent of 11–16 year olds identified as problem gamblers by the Gambling Commission's research study, Young People and Gambling, published in November, what proportion are engaged in gambling activities regulated by the Gambling Act 2005.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, on the basis of Gambling Commission's research study, Young People and Gambling, published in November, what is the problem gambling rate for children and young people who gamble by (1) playing fruit machines in pubs, (2) online, (3) buying scratchcards, (4) private bets; and (5) cards with their friends; and how those rates compare with the problem gambling rates for adults in Great Britain.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 April (HL7422), how many of the 60 foreign unlicensed online gambling websites to which the Gambling Commission has written have (1) obtained a licence, (2) ceased offering facilities for gambling in Britain, and (3) been subject to payment blocking by payment providers.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Of the 60 foreign unlicensed online gambling websites which the Gambling Commission wrote to, 3 obtained a licence; 41 ceased offering facilities for gambling; and 11 were subject to payment blocking by payment providers. The remainder are the subject of ongoing enforcement activity by the Gambling Commission.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of foreign online gambling websites not licensed in the UK that are being accessed from the UK.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Gambling Commission monitors this through the complaints received from customers and licensed operators, and other sources of intelligence. It is not possible to state precisely how many individual unlicensed websites there are, however, where websites are identified that are offering facilities for gambling to customers in Britain without the appropriate licence the Commission will take action to ensure they cease these activities. Since November 2014 the Commission has written to approximately 60 foreign online gambling websites, to remind them of the legal position and require them to immediately cease their activities in Great Britain.