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 findings from the Gambling Commission’s 2020 Young People and Gambling Survey; and what steps they are taking to reduce problem gambling among 11 to 16-year olds.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a priority for government, and the government and the Gambling Commission work closely together on that issue. Gambling operators must abide by strict requirements for the protection of children and are subject to sanction by the Commission if they breach these rules. In May 2019 the Commission strengthened protections further to prevent children engaging in illegal underage gambling online by requiring operators to verify age and identity before allowing customers to deposit money or place a bet.
Since September 2020 teaching about the risks related to online gambling has been included in the Health Education curriculum, which is compulsory for pupils in state-funded schools. This is in addition to initiatives by third-sector bodies, including the PSHE Association’s resources to help teachers educate their pupils about the risks of gambling and how to avoid them, and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust’s (YGAM) training and tools for teachers, youth workers, mental health specialists and others who work with children and young people.
The Gambling Commission conducts an annual survey of gambling activity by children and young people. The outbreak of Covid 19 halted fieldwork for the 2020 survey before it was finished, which meant that the survey’s sample size was significantly smaller than in previous years and that no surveys were completed in Wales. The Commission has made clear that results of the 2020 survey are therefore not representative of Great Britain and should not be compared to those of previous years. However, we have noted the information carefully as we do all research and data relating to children and gambling.
The government has committed to review the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age and further details will be announced 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, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 3 November (HL9493), whether the commitment to provide gigabit-capable broadband nationwide will be rolled out equitably between rural and urban communities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit-capable broadband as soon as possible, in both urban and rural areas. The Government is supporting commercial gigabit capable broadband deployment to the majority of the country (c. 80% of premises) by encouraging greater network competition and removing barriers to deployment. To ensure that areas in the harder to reach 20% of the country - which are predominantly rural and more remote - get gigabit capable broadband in parallel to commercial build, the Budget committed the Government to invest £5 billion into these 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 review the use of Pyronix-Hikvision technology in UK infrastructure in the light of reports of the alleged use of that company’s technology in Uighur detention facilities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are aware of reports that Hikvision's technology has been used in Xinjiang. The UK has repeatedly taken a leading international role in holding China to account for the situation in Xinjiang, including by leading statements at the UN Human Rights Council in June and the UN Third Committee in October. We are actively considering the implications for the UK and continue to encourage human rights to be at the centre of all business that takes place in this country.
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 NatWest’s announcement of a 48-hour gambling block for debit cards to reduce gambling-related harm; and what action they are taking to encourage other companies in the banking sector to adopt similar policies.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the important role banks can play in helping their customers monitor and manage their gambling spend. Last year the then Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport convened a roundtable of banks and other stakeholders in the financial sector to encourage them to do more in this regard and ministers have since corresponded with industry leaders on this issue. I am pleased that many banks have acted to offer their customers the option to block gambling transactions from their accounts and welcome NatWest’s introduction of a 48 hour gambling block.
Research published by the University of Bristol in July this year estimated that debit card gambling blocks are available for roughly 63% of UK current accounts but we encourage those banks that have not yet developed these kinds of services to do so. We also encourage banks to follow best practice in the design of their blocks, for instance including a sufficient 'cooling off' period.
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 economic impact of problem gambling; and what estimate they have made of how likely problem gamblers are (1) to experience family break up, (2) to commit crime, (3) to be unemployed, (4) to lose their homes, and (5) to have compromised life expectancy, compared with the rest of the population.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Public Health England is currently undertaking a major evidence review looking at the prevalence of gambling health harms and their social and economic burden. Publication of this study has been delayed by Covid 19 and is expected in early 2021.
The government does not hold figures on the proportion of problem gamblers who experience family break up, commit a crime, experience unemployment, lose their homes, or have a lower than average life expectancy. However, the Health Surveys for Scotland and England and the Gambling Commission’s survey of gambling behaviour in Wales collect data on the differing incidence of problem gambling amongst different demographic groups. The 2016 combined Health Survey and the 2018 Health Survey for England estimated that the rate of problem gambling amongst those who are unemployed is 1.9%. The 2016 Health Surveys for England and Scotland also give data on the incidence of problem gambling amongst those who have probable mental ill health (2.2%), a low well-being score (2.6%) and who consume alcohol at a level of increased risk (0.8%).
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 the Advertising Standards Agency, Trends in exposure to TV ads during COVID-19, published on 8 October; and what steps they are taking to reduce young people’s exposure to gambling adverts.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) recently published data on TV viewing patterns and exposure to TV advertising during the initial lockdown period (16 March – 3rd May 2020). That data shows that both adults and children spent more time watching TV during lockdown compared to the same period in 2019, with average viewing time per week 20% higher amongst adults and 17% higher amongst children. Similarly, exposure to all TV advertising showed a year-on-year increase of 16% amongst adults, and 9% amongst children. Looking at gambling adverts specifically, children saw an average of 4 ads per week during early lockdown, compared to 2.7 ads per week during that same period in 2019, with adverts for lotteries and bingo accounting for most of this increased exposure. Longer term trends show that children’s exposure to advertising fell from a peak of 4.4 TV ads per week in 2013 to 2.5 per week in 2019.
Gambling advertising is subject to strict controls on content and placement. Operators must ensure that their ads are not targeted at children and in 2019 the ASA launched a programme of avatar monitoring to identify operators failing to effectively target ads away from children online. In addition, following work with the Gambling Commission, the industry has committed to make better use of advertising technology to target adverts away from children online and on social media. The sixth edition of the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible advertising, which came into force this month, requires operators to ensure advertising is targeted only at those over 25 years old on social media and to age-gate operator YouTube channels and content. These measures build on last year’s voluntary whistle-to-whistle ban on betting ads shown during live sport shown before the watershed. Figures published by the industry indicate that children’s exposure to gambling advertising during live sport has fallen by 70% since the introduction of the ban.
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 long-term effects of gambling advertising on young people and their future participation in gambling activities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Gambling advertising and sponsorship, including around sport, must be socially responsible and must not be targeted at children. The government assessed the evidence on advertising in its Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, the full response to which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures.
Since then, in March this year, the charity GambleAware has published the final report of a major piece of research into the effect of gambling marketing and advertising on children, young people and vulnerable people. That study found that exposure to advertising was associated with an openness to gamble in the future amongst children and young people aged 11-24 who did not currently gamble. It also found that there were other factors that correlated more closely with current gambling behaviour amongst those groups, including peer and parental gambling. It did not suggest a causal link between any of these and problem gambling in later life.
The government takes concerns raised about loot boxes in video games very seriously. On 23 September 2020 we launched an 8 week call for evidence which includes a focus on whether loot boxes cause harm and, if so, the nature of the harm. This will put us on the best footing to take any action that is necessary. We expect to publish a Government response to the call for evidence early next year.
Ministers and officials regularly engage with stakeholders on a wide range of issues. Ministers have not recently received representations from either the gambling or the sports sectors about gambling advertising or sponsorship of professional sports teams. The House of Lords Select Committee on the Economic and Social Impact of the Gambling Industry and Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group have made recommendations to Ministers in both these 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, further to the statement by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 2 July 2019 (HL Deb, cols 1344–6), and in the light of the pledge made by the Betting and Gambling Council’s five largest members this week, whether the announcement made in the July 2019 statement is now null and void; and if not, where the money has been distributed; what involvement Her Majesty's Government had in the announcement by the Betting and Gambling Council; and why is the money no longer being distributed by the committee launched by Lord Chadlington.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 2 July 2019 five major gambling operators committed to raise their contribution to funding for research education and treatment to 1% over a four year period, and as part of that to spend a cumulative total of £100m over four years on expanding treatment services. On 15 June 2020 industry body the Betting and Gaming Council set out further detail about the allocation of industry donations for the 2020-21 financial year, and announced that the charity GambleAware would be funded to expand treatment services.
The government has been clear that the gambling industry has a responsibility to protect people from gambling harm and support those who have been affected. It welcomed industry’s commitment to increase contributions and will monitor closely the progress of these new measures. While this a voluntary agreement, Ministers and officials have been clear that funds must be spent independently of industry and focused exclusively on reducing gambling related harm.
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 Baroness Barran on 1 April (HL2887), what is the nature of the scoping work being undertaken; who is involved in that work; and when they anticipate concluding such work.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government committed in its manifesto to review the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. This commitment remains a priority, but as with other areas of Government business the impact of Covid-19 has placed unforeseen pressures on the Department. We are continuing to work closely with the Gambling Commission, including on ensuring that vulnerable people are protected in this time of potentially heightened risk.
Much of our continuing work, such as monitoring the impact of regulatory interventions in this and other jurisdictions, will be relevant to the review, as will the recommendations of the National Audit Office, which we are considering carefully. A timeline for the review and its scope will be announced 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, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 18 March (HL2292), whether they will now answer the question put: when the (1) terms of reference, (2) call for evidence, and (3) deadlines, of the review of the Gambling Act 2005 will be announced.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We will announce further details of the review once scoping work is complete. Ministers and the Gambling Commission have made clear to online operators that while we recognise the challenges the sector is facing dealing with the impact of Covid-19, they must continue to comply with licence conditions, protect consumers and address any new risks of gambling related harm during this period.