Lord Chadlington

Questions about gambling participation are included in the large scale English and Scottish Health Surveys and an alternative omnibus survey for Wales. The Combined Health Survey for England, Scotland and Wales 2016 results were published on 6 September 2018 and can be found at https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-behaviour-in-Great-Britain-2016.pdf . A copy of which is attached.

In addition, the Gambling Commission collects participation data through smaller scale quarterly telephone and online surveys and monitors underage gambling through its young persons survey. The latest information can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/Statistics-and-research/Levels-of-participation-and-problem-gambling/Gambling-participation-and-problem-gambling.aspx. A copy of the full document is also attached.

The Government does not hold data on the number of divorces caused by problem gambling. The Government published its response, which I attach, to the Consultation on proposed changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures on 17 May 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

The draft Statutory Instrument needed to reduce the maximum stake on sub-category B2 machines to £2 was notified to the European Commission in September under the requirements of the EU Technical Standards and Regulations Directive. We intend to lay the draft affirmative regulations before Parliament, for the usual process of approval, in the Autumn term.Questions about gambling participation are included in the large scale English and Scottish Health Surveys and an alternative omnibus survey for Wales. The Combined Health Survey for England, Scotland and Wales 2016 results were published on 6 September 2018 and can be found at https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-behaviour-in-Great-Britain-2016.pdf. A copy of the survey is attached.

In addition, the Gambling Commission collects participation data through smaller scale quarterly telephone and online surveys and monitors underage gambling through its young persons survey. The latest information can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/Statistics-and-research/Levels-of-participation-and-problem-gambling/Gambling-participation-and-problem-gambling.aspx. A copy is attached.

The Government does not hold data on the number of children living with parents who have problems with gambling. The Gambling Commission recently published Gambling behaviour in Great Britain 2016, which reports participation, at-risk gambling and problem gambling rates. The data, drawn from combined Health surveys, shows that the rate of problem gambling in Great Britain was 0.7%, a figure which has remained relatively stable over many years.

The Government's response to the Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility set out a number of initiatives to improve understanding of gambling-related harm, how to prevent and reduce it, the need for treatment and the most effective means of delivering it. This was part of a wider package of measures designed to protect those vulnerable to harm, including reducing the maximum stake from £100 to £2 on B2 gaming machines and strengthening protections around gambling advertising and online gambling.

The Government considered advertising as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility and published our response on 17 May. The Review looked at the existing protections around gambling advertising across all media and set out a package of initiatives to strengthen them further, including tougher guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) on protecting vulnerable people and children and young people.

We do not propose to bring forward legislation on gambling advertising but we will keep these issues under review. This will include examining any new evidence emerging from research and from initiatives in other countries.

In January the Prime Minister announced a significant programme of cross-government work on loneliness including the world's first Minister responsible for tackling loneliness, my Hon Friend the Minister for Sport and Civil Society. This work includes publishing its strategy for tackling loneliness in England by the end of 2018 and developing the evidence base on loneliness which includes looking at wide and interconnected aspects, including digital, surrounding loneliness. The Minister is also responsible for gambling and lotteries policy and in May, the Government published its response to the Consultation on Proposals for Changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. This included a range of measures designed to increase player protections around online gambling.

The charity GambleAware, which commissions research, education and treatment for problem gamblers, has established an expert steering group to help build a better shared understanding of gambling-related harms, chaired by the deputy chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), expert advisers to the Gambling Commission.

RGSB recently published a paper mapping out methodology that could be used to quantify and monitor the social and economic impact of gambling-related harms.The proposed model details nine metrics across three key areas (resources, health and relationships), including the number of suicides and suicide attempts. As part of this work it will look at what research needs to be done and the paper sets out an initial proposal for secondary analysis of key survey datasets, to help to give insight into the relationship between self-harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and problem gambling.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with DCMS and other stakeholders to examine the issue of gambling-related suicide. Suicide prevention is a priority for Government and DHSC updated the National Suicide Prevention Strategy last year to strengthen its key areas for action.

Protecting vulnerable people from gambling-related harm is a priority for the Government and where there is evidence that a particular product or environment is causing harm, we will take action. The government Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility in May sought to ensure the right balance between socially responsible growth of industry, and the protection of the most vulnerable, including children, from gambling-related harm. We have committed to reduce the maximum stake on B2 machines from £100 to £2 and the Gambling Commission will work with industry to improve player control measures on these and other category B gaming machines.

The Gambling Commission regularly reviews its regulatory requirements to take account of developments in technology and in the market and in response to emerging risks and issues. It recently concluded a review of the online gambling sector, which identified a number of key areas where it plans to consult on enhancing protections. It also identified areas for further work, including reviewing game and product characteristics to identify whether particular features pose greater risk of harm than others. It intends to conduct further research into the relationship between in-game features and the potential to incentivise negative gambling behaviour.

Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a priority for government and under the legislation in place is a core licensing objective for the Gambling Commission. Online and land-based operators offering gambling services to people in Great Britain must be licensed by the Commission and must have effective policies and procedures designed to prevent underage gambling. The Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) set out social responsibility requirements for gambling operators, including to protect children and vulnerable people.

The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), the Gambling Commission’s expert adviser, recently published a report on children, young people and gambling. In response, the Commission has set out further commitments to protect children and young people, including carrying out targeted compliance and enforcement activity to identify and tackle any weaknesses in the age verification processes. It recently concluded a review of the online gambling sector and announced that it will consult on requiring all consumers to be age-verified before they are able to deposit money or access free-to-play games.

We are developing a cross-government strategy on loneliness in England to be published later this year. This will bring together government departments, local government, public services, the voluntary and community sector and businesses to identify opportunities to tackle loneliness, and build more integrated and resilient communities. The Government has made no specific assessment of loneliness in relation to online gambling but is considering digital issues in developing the strategy. Government is also leading work to develop the evidence base around the impact of different initiatives in tackling loneliness, across all ages and within all communities.

We considered advertising as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility and published our response on 17 May. The Review looked at the existing protections around gambling advertising across all media and set out a package of initiatives to strengthen them further, including tougher guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) on protecting vulnerable people and children and young people.

We do not propose to bring forward legislation on gambling advertising but we will keep these issues under review. This will include examining any new evidence emerging from research and from initiatives in other countries.

Providing better information and support to people bereaved by suicide is a key area for action in the Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. Effective suicide bereavement services should be provided through local partnerships between local authorities, NHS organisations and voluntary and charitable sector providers. The NHS Choices website provides advice on accessing support for people who have been bereaved.

The charity GambleAware, which funds research, education and treatment for gambling addiction, has published a Strategic Delivery Plan for 2018-2020. This includes plans to commission specialist support for people who suffer bereavement because of the problem gambling of a family member or friend.

The charity GambleAware, which commissions research, education and treatment for problem gamblers, has established an expert steering group to help build a better shared understanding of gambling-related harms, chaired by the deputy chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, expert advisers to the Gambling Commission. As part of this work it will look at what research needs to be done on suicide and suicidal ideation and it will shortly publish an initial paper for wider consultation.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with DCMS and other stakeholders to examine the issue of gambling-related suicide. Suicide prevention is a priority for Government and DHSC updated the National Suicide Prevention Strategy last year to strengthen its key areas for action.

The Charity Commission’s guidance on charities in financial difficulty expects trustees to discharge their duties by regularly assessing and monitoring the overall financial position of their charity and by taking steps to ensure that its funds can continue to be used for the purposes for which they were given. Where their charity has to close, the Charity Commission expects trustees to have planned for an orderly shutdown. The directors of charities that are companies also need to take all necessary steps to avoid wrongful trading.

Charities that prepare their accounts on a receipts and payments basis are not required to include a note to their accounts about the charity’s financial circumstances but are encouraged to do so as a matter of good practice. Charities that prepare ‘true and fair’ accounts under the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) must confirm that the charity is a going concern or alternatively advise of any uncertainties as to going concern in the notes to the accounts.

The Charity Commission’s Directions to charity independent examiners changed from 1 December 2017 requiring them to review the trustees’ consideration of their charity’s financial circumstances and, where the SORP is followed, the trustees’ assessment of going concern. Auditors of charities already have to report on going concern and the UK charity regulators have required auditors and examiners since 1 May 2017 to advise the regulator directly of any doubts they have as to a charity being a going concern.

This important duty will be a key contribution to the ability of charity regulators to take timely action. UK charity regulators have agreed a common list of matters of material significance to assist auditors in reporting important matters on a timely basis.

The new requirements have strengthened charity regulators’ ability to take action where there are serious concerns about a charity’s financial health or financial management.

The Gambling Act 2005 created an independent regulator, the Gambling Commission, which has a duty to ensure gambling is consistent with the licensing objectives; keeping gambling free of crime, ensuring it is fair and open, and protecting children and vulnerable people from harm or exploitation.

The Commission regularly reviews its regulatory requirements to take account of developments in technology and in the market, and in response to emerging risks and issues. While welcoming innovation, it applies the precautionary principle to new products, or to innovation in other areas, when there is good reason to believe they might cause harm disproportionate to any benefits they might bring.

Following the British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) in 2010 it was decided to include questions about gambling participation and the experience of gambling problems in national health surveys. Since then, data from the 2012 and 2015 Health Surveys for England and Scotland as well as the Problem Gambling Survey Wales 2015 has been used to assess rates of problem gambling. The health surveys have a similar methodology to the BGPS and target the same population group, while also allowing for cross-referencing of health and demographic variables with those related to gambling. There are no plans to change this method of data collection.

The Gambling Commission also monitors gambling participation and prevalence through quarterly telephone and online surveys with people aged 16 and over in Great Britain, conducted independently by Populus. Each survey captures the past four weeks’ gambling behaviour, including problem gambling estimates, consumer awareness of gambling tools and perceptions and attitudes towards gambling. These are collated into annual gambling behaviour reports.

Requirements around player protection are set out in the National Lottery operating licence, overseen and regulated by the Gambling Commission.

Under the terms of the licence, Camelot are required to produce and implement an underage and excessive play strategy, which I attach. This is available at: https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/responsible-play/consumer-protection-strategy. This is reviewed and approved annually. The Gambling Commission also regularly monitors and engages with Camelot on the measures that it has in place and its progress on its plans to improve them.

Additionally, the Gambling Commission makes periodic assessments of Camelot’s performance on player protection and its recent business plan states that it intends this year to assess the effectiveness of the current and future protections in place for National Lottery players.

GambleAware commissions treatment services for gambling related harm. This includes GamCare, which provides a helpline and private counselling for anyone affected by problem gambling. GamCare’s helpline and website are advertised on scratchcards, draw tickets and the National Lottery website and in 2017 Camelot increased its contribution to GambleAware from £190,000 to £300,000 per year.

We considered research, education and treatment as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility. The response was published on 17 May. The review looked at protections across the gambling industry and support for those who experience harm, including the arrangements for funding.

The Gambling Commission requires all operators licensed under the Gambling Act 2005 to make a contribution towards the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm. It does not specify how much this should be, nor which organisations should be supported, but most operators fulfil this obligation by making a contribution to GambleAware, which currently asks operators to donate 0.1% of their Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). GambleAware received £9.4m in the year 2017/18. Industry also made donations to other bodies supporting research, education and treatment, bringing collective contributions to above 0.1% of its GGY.

The government does not hold information on how much each operator donates. The Gambling Commission has committed to do more to enhance the visibility and transparency of details of industry contributions, either by operator or sector. In addition, GambleAware has announced that it plans to publish details of operator contributions on its website on a quarterly basis, and will ask operators to voluntarily self-certify whether these donations amount to at least 0.1% of GGY.

The most recent large-scale report was published by the Gambling Commission in 2017, using data from Health Survey for England and Scotland 2015 and Problem Gambling Survey Wales 2015. This estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 430,000, 0.8% of the population.

The number of gambling adverts on TV rose from 2007, and new types of advertising emerged such as online and on social media. There have been three other published large-scale assessments of rates of problem gambling since then: the British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) 2007, BGPS 2010 and the Health Survey for England and Scotland 2012. Over the course of these surveys there have been slight adjustments to the approach, questions and methodology, and across this period, observed rates of problem gambling have fluctuated slightly but have remained below 1%. Any observed changes are not statistically significant. The response to the Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility set out a package of initiatives to strengthen protections around gambling advertising. It also recognised that there were gaps in the evidence available, and proposed measures to fill these, including significant research commissioned by GambleAware into the impact of gambling advertising on children, young people and those vulnerable to harm. This is due to be completed next year.

All charities must keep accounting records and prepare accounts.

Registered charities must also prepare an annual report to accompany their accounts and make these documents available to the public on request. These documents should give the reader a clear picture of the financial health of the charity, including its main activities and impact, its sources of income, its expenditure and its assets.

The annual accounts and reports of registered charities with an annual income of over £25,000 are freely available for public scrutiny on the Charity Commission’s website.

All charitable companies irrespective of size and all other charities with an income of more than £250,000 must prepare their accounts in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).

The SORP requires that larger charities (income over £500,000) in their trustees’ annual report must include in their financial review an explanation of any factors that are likely to affect the financial performance or position going forward.

The Gambling Commission requires all operators licensed under the Gambling Act 2005 to make a contribution towards the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm. It does not specify how much this should be, nor which organisations should be supported.

We considered research, education and treatment as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility. The response was published on 17 May. The Review looked at protections across the gambling industry and support for those who experience harm, including the arrangements for funding support.

GambleAware is the leading charity commissioning research, education and treatment, and currently asks operators to donate 0.1% of their Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). Most do, with GambleAware receiving £9.4m in 2017/18, up 16% from the previous year. Industry also made donations to other bodies supporting research, education and treatment, bringing industry’s collective support for RET to above 0.1% of its GGY.

We want to see an effective and sustainable voluntary system, with improved coordination and better understanding of what measures are most effective to ensure future funding increases will be spent in the most effective way. Our response outlined a number of initiatives that continue to improve the current system, increasing access to services and strengthening the evidence base.

Each year, the Minister for Public Health writes to PHE setting out the organisation’s strategic remit and priorities for the next year. For 2018/19, PHE is explicitly committed for the first time to action on gambling-related harm. As a first step, Government has asked PHE to carry out a review of the evidence relating to the public health harms of gambling.

The Government does not consider that introducing a statutory levy is necessary or appropriate at this stage.

Data on the cause of death in cases of suicide is not recorded centrally with a level of granularity that would list gambling as a factor. Government therefore does not have an estimate of the number of suicides each year where gambling is involved.

The government takes suicide prevention very seriously and updated the Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2017. We are also encouraging Local Authorities to implement prevention plans to provide support at a local level.

A focus on reducing gambling-related harm, protecting the vulnerable and making sure that those experiencing problems are getting the help they need is key to the government Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility. The consultation closed on 23 January, and we will publish our response in due course.

The Government’s consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures closed on 23 January. The Government is currently analysing the responses to the consultation and its response will be published in due course. The Government intends to publish the key responses to the consultation, subject to the respondents’ permission.

The Government’s consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures closed on 23 January. The Government is currently analysing the responses to the consultation and its response will be published in due course. The Government intends to publish the key responses to the consultation, subject to the respondents’ permission.

The Gambling Act 2005 created the Gambling Commission as the independent regulator for the gambling industry.

The Government's BBC White Paper published in May 2016, 'A BBC for the Future', made clear that the Government agrees that BBC content should be portable following the closure of the iPlayer loophole.

The BBC is an independent body governed by the Royal Charter. Under the terms of the Charter, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the Corporation's day-to-day operations. Therefore it will ultimately be up to the BBC to determine whether or not their content will be available abroad.

The Government has made no assessment of the judgment The case raises the important question of whether the Applicant had a reasonable expectation that his communications would not be monitored; and could reasonably expect privacy when communicating from the Yahoo Messenger account that he had registered at his employer's request, and where there was a strict company policy prohibiting use of work systems for personal purposes. The Applicant alleged interference with his article 8 rights and that the interference was not foreseeable or proportionate. But the Court held that there was nothing to indicate that the domestic authorities failed to strike a fair balance between the applicant’s right to respect for his private life under Article 8 and his employer’s interests, and that there had been no violation of Article 8 of the Convention.

The attached ICO's employment practices code sets out guidance in relation to workplace monitoring. The code is already clear that employers should have policies in place explaining how they expect their IT systems to be used, including setting out the extent to which, if any, the IT system can be used for personal use. Even where no such policy is in place, it is reasonable in certain circumstances for employers to monitor an employee’s use of the IT systems to ensure compliance with any policy or to ensure that employees are not abusing the use of the system. Such monitoring may include accessing non-work communications but this should only be done in exceptional circumstances.

On 21 January the Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations introduced in April 2015, which is attached.

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

Televised gambling advertising in the UK is governed by the Advertising Codes which are maintained by the Broadcast Committee for Advertising Practice. This is supplemented by a self-regulatory industry code, the Industry Code for Socially Responsible Gambling. An enhanced version of the industry code will come into effect in February 2016. New measures include a commitment that gambling operators will no longer advertise sign-up offers on television before 9pm.

Social gaming is already covered by existing consumer protection legislation and other regulatory bodies. The Gambling Commission published the attached report on social gaming in January 2015. The Commission concluded that there was no compelling reason to impose additional regulation on the social gaming sector given that it is already subject to extensive consumer protection legislation.

The Government will continue to keep this issue under review to ensure that appropriate protections remain in place.

This Government wants to ensure that people are protected from being harmed or exploited by gambling. We welcome the ongoing work of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), the Gambling Commission and the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) to identify the causes of problem gambling and to implement effective deterrents and treatments.

The England and Scotland Health Surveys and the British Gambling Prevalence Surveys contain data on problem gambling levels going back to 1999. The approach and methodology for these different surveys are broadly comparable and show that there has been very little significant change in the levels of problem gambling since 1999, with current levels at around 0.5% of the adult population compared to 0.8% in 1999. Nevertheless the Government remains determined to tackle problem gambling and is working with the Gambling Commission and the industry to improve measures to prevent harm.