Gambling: Fixed-odds Betting Machines

Lord Naseby Excerpts

Tuesday 30th October 2018 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I answered the question from the noble Lord, Lord Alton, about whether the levy was mandatory or voluntary. The Government take suicide prevention extremely seriously and much work is being done, particularly with the National Health Service. Support is available. GamCare provides the national gambling helpline and a national network of counselling services. It is very important that we run this in parallel with the lead-up to the date that we bring in this change to the fixed-odds terminals.

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

My Lords, my noble friend says that it is going to take another year and, as we understand from the Chancellor, there may be a Budget in the spring. Did my noble friend listen to the strong feeling of, I suspect, almost everybody in this Chamber today? Perhaps it would be possible in such a Budget to implement what should happen.

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I will certainly take the noble Lord’s comments back, but the date is fixed.