Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for granting local authorities greater powers to determine the number and location of gambling premises, such as betting shops, in a local area, to help mitigate gambling related harms.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Act Review is taking a comprehensive look at gambling legislation and regulation in Great Britain to make sure it is fit for the digital age, including whether licensing and local authorities have enough powers to fulfil their responsibilities in respect of premises licences. We will publish a white paper setting out our conclusions and next steps in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for introducing a mandatory levy on gambling firms to help fund an expansion of treatment and support services for those experiencing gambling related harm.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government’s Review of the Gambling Act called for evidence on how best to recoup the regulatory and societal costs of problem gambling. We will publish a white paper setting out our conclusions and vision for the sector in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of rural communities’ access to reliable broadband on the fiscal wellbeing of businesses in those areas.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Gigabit-capable networks can deliver the broadband services that businesses will rely on for decades to come, paving the way for new developments in commerce, trade and society and bringing benefits including improved productivity, jobs and economic growth
The 2021 Evaluation of the Superfast Broadband Programme, which primarily delivered broadband upgrades to rural areas, found that the programme has increased the annual turnover of local businesses by £1.9 billion per year. The report also highlights that the most commonly reported impacts of improved connections amongst businesses were enhanced customer services (72 per cent), using internet connected devices (55 per cent), cloud-based computing (51 per cent) and promoting flexible working (50 per cent).
The final evaluation of our Superfast Programme will be completed in 2022/23 and will add to our understanding of the economic impact of fast and reliable broadband for businesses operating in rural areas.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to investigate the sale in the UK of ancient artefacts stolen from Ethiopia’s Tigray region as part of the ongoing conflict in that area.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government is committed to combating the illicit trade in cultural objects. We have a range of provisions in international and domestic UK law, including criminal offences, to protect cultural objects from unlawful removal and illicit trade. The investigation of cases of illicit trade in cultural objects is a matter for the police, and the prosecution of such cases is a matter for the relevant prosecuting authorities. UK authorities work with online selling platforms, such as eBay, to combat the sale of stolen cultural objects. The Government encourages anyone who believes that a cultural object is being unlawfully traded to raise it with the appropriate authorities.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 November (HL3696), what is their estimate of the total number of stolen funds that are used for gambling purposes each year.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Written Answer of 17 November set out amounts divested by licensed operators in cases where there was both identified anti-money laundering failings and criminal spending and an individual was criminally convicted. The Gambling Commission does not hold further data on stolen funds used for gambling purposes.
All gambling operators have a responsibility to keep financial crime out of gambling. The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 places an obligation on operators to be alert to attempts by customers to gamble money acquired unlawfully, either to obtain legitimate money in return or simply using criminal proceeds to fund gambling.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation from the report by Bristol University What are the odds? The appeal of gambling adverts to children and young persons on twitter, published on 26 October, that there should be an opt-in requirement to receive gambling advertisements on social media.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is carrying out a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and is looking closely at the evidence regarding the impacts of allowing operators to advertise, including on social media. It will consider the research conducted by Bristol University carefully as part of that Review.
All gambling advertising, wherever it appears, is subject to strict controls on content and placement. Gambling operators advertising online, including on social media, must abide by the advertising codes issued by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Gambling Commission may take enforcement action against them if they do not. The CAP consulted earlier this year on proposals to strengthen the codes and further limit the presence of gambling adverts for the protection of children and vulnerable people. Changes to safeguard vulnerable adults were announced this summer, and the full outcome is to be announced before the end of the year.
Following work with the Gambling Commission, the industry has also committed to make better use of advertising technology to target adverts away from children on social media. The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising now requires operators to ensure paid-for advertising is targeted only at those over 25 years old on social media and to age-gate operator YouTube channels and content.
The Government is also looking more broadly at how online advertising is regulated through the Online Advertising Programme, which will be launching a public consultation this year. Our aim is to foster fair, accountable and ethical online advertising that works for individuals, businesses and society as a whole.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Bristol University What are the odds? The appeal of gambling adverts to children and young persons on twitter, published on 26 October; and particularly the findings that (1) the majority of gambling advertisements were twice as likely to appeal to children as older adults, and (2) nearly half of children and almost three quarters of young people saw gambling adverts on Twitter almost once per week
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is carrying out a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and is looking closely at the evidence regarding the impacts of allowing operators to advertise, including on social media. It will consider the research conducted by Bristol University carefully as part of that Review.
All gambling advertising, wherever it appears, is subject to strict controls on content and placement. Gambling operators advertising online, including on social media, must abide by the advertising codes issued by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Gambling Commission may take enforcement action against them if they do not. The CAP consulted earlier this year on proposals to strengthen the codes and further limit the presence of gambling adverts for the protection of children and vulnerable people. Changes to safeguard vulnerable adults were announced this summer, and the full outcome is to be announced before the end of the year.
Following work with the Gambling Commission, the industry has also committed to make better use of advertising technology to target adverts away from children on social media. The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising now requires operators to ensure paid-for advertising is targeted only at those over 25 years old on social media and to age-gate operator YouTube channels and content.
The Government is also looking more broadly at how online advertising is regulated through the Online Advertising Programme, which will be launching a public consultation this year. Our aim is to foster fair, accountable and ethical online advertising that works for individuals, businesses and society as a whole.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times gambling companies have paid compensation for failing to prevent money laundering when an individual criminally convicted of theft used stolen funds to gamble; and what was the total amount paid by gambling companies in such cases.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Commission can fine a gambling operator if a licence condition has been breached. In some circumstances, the Commission may decide to agree a regulatory settlement instead of issuing a fine. While fines are paid to the exchequer, regulatory settlements are divested by the company to third parties. In circumstances where a victim of crime can be identified, for example an employer whose money was stolen by someone who went on to gamble with those funds, the Commission would expect funds to be divested back to the employer.
The information we hold shows that in the last three years, the Commission has required four operators to pay compensation to victims where stolen funds have been used to gamble and an individual has been criminally convicted. The total amount paid by each gambling company is as follows:
Betway - £5,068,577
Gamesys - £460,472
Platinum Gaming - £629,420
Petfre - £140,000
In addition to these figures, all regulatory actions taken by the Gambling Commission are accessible on their Public Register which may be found at the following link.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Regulation of BetIndex Limited, published on 13 September, what steps they are taking, beyond additional funding, to ensure that the Gambling Commission is better able to monitor and intervene in the case of novel gambling products.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Commission has already taken steps to address issues identified in the independent reviewer’s report, including updating its frameworks for risk-based regulation so that novel products are placed under greater scrutiny and commencing a review of all remote licensees to check for issues relating to boundary-pushing products. The Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority have also strengthened their Memorandum of Understanding, including new escalation routes so that regulatory impasses are identified and overcome quickly.
As set out in the terms of reference, the independent review into the regulation of BetIndex was intended to inform our ongoing Review of the Gambling Act 2005. This is looking closely at a range of issues, including the Gambling Commission’s powers and how it uses them, as well as the potential risks posed to consumers by new and emerging technologies. We are considering its findings and recommendations carefully, and aim to publish a white paper setting out any conclusions in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of OpenRAN (1) as part of their gigabit capable broad rollout, (2) in increasing connectivity to rural communities, and (3) in extending connectivity to rural ‘notspots’.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government continues to explore the role of interoperable technologies, such as Open RAN, in the future of our telecommunications networks as part of the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, published in November last year and here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-supply-chain-diversification-strategy/5g-supply-chain-diversification-strategy . Open RAN is still a nascent technology which promises efficiency and flexibility gains, and the Government is supporting its development as part of the telecoms diversification agenda, including through the £30m Future RAN Competition (FRANC).
The Government is extending connectivity to rural areas - both mobile and full fibre. Project Gigabit recognises Fixed Wireless Access as a potential gigabit-capable technology, which can provide a broadband connection via infrastructure also used for mobile networks. Furthermore, the Shared Rural Network programme will bring 4G coverage to 95% of the UK by 2025 - including total not-spots. We expect Open RAN to play an ever larger role in 5G mobile networks and beyond; these technologies are capable of reaching gigabit speeds and may support the Government's ambition to connect at least 85% of UK premises to gigabit speeds by 2025.
The Government also welcomed the news from Vodafone that it will be supplying large parts of Wales and the South West of England with Open RAN technology, and that deployment will start in rural areas.