Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Details of ministerial gifts and ministerial hospitality are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.
Officials dealing with gambling policy do not accept gifts or hospitality from the gambling industry.
Public Health England (PHE)’s evidence review on gambling-related harms estimated the annual cost of harmful gambling to society to be between £841 million and £2.2 billion, or approximately £1.27 billion. Further research is needed to determine costs attributable directly to gambling-related harm rather than those associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers.
PHE also conducted a rapid review on the impact of COVID-19 on gambling behaviour and associated harms. The review found consistent evidence that overall gambling participation reduced during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period (March to June 2020), and limited evidence to show any new patterns of harms associated with gambling during COVID-19 restrictions.
The Gambling Commission’s official statistics for the year to March 2021 show that the overall participation in gambling declined over the wider period of COVID-19 lockdowns, largely due to the closure of land-based gambling venues for much of the past year. The proportion of respondents participating in any gambling in the past four weeks fell from 47% in the year to March 2020 to 40% in the year to March 2021. Online gambling participation increased to 24% (up 3 percentage points), whilst in person participation decreased 12 percentage points to 23%. However, the increase in online gambling was largely linked to National Lottery play; excluding National Lottery draws, overall participation online increased marginally from 16.5% to 16.9%.
Public Health England (PHE)’s evidence review on gambling-related harms estimated the annual cost of harmful gambling to society to be between £841 million and £2.2 billion, or approximately £1.27 billion. Further research is needed to determine costs attributable directly to gambling-related harm rather than those associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers.
PHE also conducted a rapid review on the impact of COVID-19 on gambling behaviour and associated harms. The review found consistent evidence that overall gambling participation reduced during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period (March to June 2020), and limited evidence to show any new patterns of harms associated with gambling during COVID-19 restrictions.
The Gambling Commission’s official statistics for the year to March 2021 show that the overall participation in gambling declined over the wider period of COVID-19 lockdowns, largely due to the closure of land-based gambling venues for much of the past year. The proportion of respondents participating in any gambling in the past four weeks fell from 47% in the year to March 2020 to 40% in the year to March 2021. Online gambling participation increased to 24% (up 3 percentage points), whilst in person participation decreased 12 percentage points to 23%. However, the increase in online gambling was largely linked to National Lottery play; excluding National Lottery draws, overall participation online increased marginally from 16.5% to 16.9%.
As set out in Public Health England’s evidence review on gambling-related harms, the estimated problem gambling rate for England was 0.5% in 2018, or around 245,600 people, with figures drawn from the Health Survey. The most recent combined Health Survey figure for adults in Great Britain was 0.6%, or approximately 340,000 people, in 2016. To supplement the Health Surveys, the Gambling Commission carries out a quarterly survey by telephone which includes a shortened problem gambling screening. For the year to September 2021 this estimated a problem gambling rate of 0.3%.
According to the Commission’s Young People and Gambling 2019 report, 11% of 11-16 year olds said they had spent their own money on gambling activities in the seven days prior to being surveyed. This was a reduction from 14% in 2018 and 23% in 2011.
Public Health England’s evidence review also looked at the available evidence on the direct, indirect and intangible costs of gambling harm to society. It estimated an annual cost of approximately £1.27 billion associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers, including £619.2 million of intangible costs associated with suicide.
As set out in Public Health England’s evidence review on gambling-related harms, the estimated problem gambling rate for England was 0.5% in 2018, or around 245,600 people, with figures drawn from the Health Survey. The most recent combined Health Survey figure for adults in Great Britain was 0.6%, or approximately 340,000 people, in 2016. To supplement the Health Surveys, the Gambling Commission carries out a quarterly survey by telephone which includes a shortened problem gambling screening. For the year to September 2021 this estimated a problem gambling rate of 0.3%.
According to the Commission’s Young People and Gambling 2019 report, 11% of 11-16 year olds said they had spent their own money on gambling activities in the seven days prior to being surveyed. This was a reduction from 14% in 2018 and 23% in 2011.
Public Health England’s evidence review also looked at the available evidence on the direct, indirect and intangible costs of gambling harm to society. It estimated an annual cost of approximately £1.27 billion associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers, including £619.2 million of intangible costs associated with suicide.
As set out in Public Health England’s evidence review on gambling-related harms, the estimated problem gambling rate for England was 0.5% in 2018, or around 245,600 people, with figures drawn from the Health Survey. The most recent combined Health Survey figure for adults in Great Britain was 0.6%, or approximately 340,000 people, in 2016. To supplement the Health Surveys, the Gambling Commission carries out a quarterly survey by telephone which includes a shortened problem gambling screening. For the year to September 2021 this estimated a problem gambling rate of 0.3%.
According to the Commission’s Young People and Gambling 2019 report, 11% of 11-16 year olds said they had spent their own money on gambling activities in the seven days prior to being surveyed. This was a reduction from 14% in 2018 and 23% in 2011.
Public Health England’s evidence review also looked at the available evidence on the direct, indirect and intangible costs of gambling harm to society. It estimated an annual cost of approximately £1.27 billion associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers, including £619.2 million of intangible costs associated with suicide.
Ministers and officials have regular meetings with the industry and other gambling stakeholders to support ongoing work and policy development. There has also been a wide-ranging series of meetings to support the ongoing Gambling Act Review which was launched in December 2020 with a Call for Evidence.
Records of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and are available on gov.uk. The meetings with the gambling industry and its representatives have covered a very wide range of issues, for instance the impact of Covid-19 closures on the land-based industry and the measures the Government was taking to support the economy, measures the industry is taking to make gambling safer, and industry evidence on the Act Review. A number of these have also been introductory meetings with new Ministers.
Officials in the gambling policy team have had around sixty meetings with industry in that period covering the above topics, particularly the impact of Covid-19, and also other areas such as animal welfare in horse and greyhound racing, the implications of Brexit and supply chain disruption, and delivery of previous commitments made by industry, such as the £100m to support treatment over four years.
Ministers have met a wide range of non-industry gambling stakeholders over the same period. This has included six meetings with gambling harm campaign groups or people with personal experience of gambling harm (including roundtables with many individuals or organisations present), thirteen meetings with parliamentarians campaigning for reform, and three meetings with gambling researchers and education and treatment providers. We do not have a record of which meetings were conducted remotely or in person.
Officials in the gambling policy team have had over one hundred further meetings with non-industry gambling related stakeholders since June 2020. This has included eleven with campaign groups or people with personal experience, thirty three with those working primarily on gambling research, seven with those primarily related to gambling harm education, seventeen with treatment providers for gambling related harm, and three meetings with think-tanks. Many of these meetings were in connection with the Gambling Act Review, discussing individuals’ or groups' priorities and the evidence they presented.
We recognised post COVID-19 syndrome as a valid medical condition in June 2020, when guidelines were issued to the National Health Service on the long-term healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence created a clinical definition for the condition, publishing the ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ in December 2020. A copy is attached. Post COVID-19 syndrome is a complex condition, affecting multiple systems within the body. Commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive impairment and muscle pain. Further symptoms associated are set out in the guideline attached.
The establishment of specialist Post COVID-19 clinics was announced in October 2010. There are currently 101 specialist services for adults and 13 for children and younger people.
NHS England publish information on referrals of people aged 16 years old and older to post COVID-19 services in England. In the period 5 July 2021 to 7 May 2023, there have been 96,898 accepted referrals, 87,663 initial assessments and 263,166 follow up appointments.
No recent estimate has been made of the number of people who have contracted or have lasting disabilities as a result of contracting Post COVID-19 syndrome.
The latest estimate from the Office of National Statistics is that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023 1.9 million people, 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms.
We recognised post COVID-19 syndrome as a valid medical condition in June 2020, when guidelines were issued to the National Health Service on the long-term healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence created a clinical definition for the condition, publishing the ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ in December 2020. A copy is attached. Post COVID-19 syndrome is a complex condition, affecting multiple systems within the body. Commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive impairment and muscle pain. Further symptoms associated are set out in the guideline attached.
The establishment of specialist Post COVID-19 clinics was announced in October 2010. There are currently 101 specialist services for adults and 13 for children and younger people.
NHS England publish information on referrals of people aged 16 years old and older to post COVID-19 services in England. In the period 5 July 2021 to 7 May 2023, there have been 96,898 accepted referrals, 87,663 initial assessments and 263,166 follow up appointments.
No recent estimate has been made of the number of people who have contracted or have lasting disabilities as a result of contracting Post COVID-19 syndrome.
The latest estimate from the Office of National Statistics is that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023 1.9 million people, 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms.
We recognised post COVID-19 syndrome as a valid medical condition in June 2020, when guidelines were issued to the National Health Service on the long-term healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence created a clinical definition for the condition, publishing the ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ in December 2020. A copy is attached. Post COVID-19 syndrome is a complex condition, affecting multiple systems within the body. Commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive impairment and muscle pain. Further symptoms associated are set out in the guideline attached.
The establishment of specialist Post COVID-19 clinics was announced in October 2010. There are currently 101 specialist services for adults and 13 for children and younger people.
NHS England publish information on referrals of people aged 16 years old and older to post COVID-19 services in England. In the period 5 July 2021 to 7 May 2023, there have been 96,898 accepted referrals, 87,663 initial assessments and 263,166 follow up appointments.
No recent estimate has been made of the number of people who have contracted or have lasting disabilities as a result of contracting Post COVID-19 syndrome.
The latest estimate from the Office of National Statistics is that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023 1.9 million people, 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms.
We recognised post COVID-19 syndrome as a valid medical condition in June 2020, when guidelines were issued to the National Health Service on the long-term healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence created a clinical definition for the condition, publishing the ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ in December 2020. A copy is attached. Post COVID-19 syndrome is a complex condition, affecting multiple systems within the body. Commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive impairment and muscle pain. Further symptoms associated are set out in the guideline attached.
The establishment of specialist Post COVID-19 clinics was announced in October 2010. There are currently 101 specialist services for adults and 13 for children and younger people.
NHS England publish information on referrals of people aged 16 years old and older to post COVID-19 services in England. In the period 5 July 2021 to 7 May 2023, there have been 96,898 accepted referrals, 87,663 initial assessments and 263,166 follow up appointments.
No recent estimate has been made of the number of people who have contracted or have lasting disabilities as a result of contracting Post COVID-19 syndrome.
The latest estimate from the Office of National Statistics is that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023 1.9 million people, 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms.
The Department for Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology funds research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Collectively, over £50 million has already been invested in long-COVID research projects to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate clinical care.
This information is not held in the format requested. However, the following table shows quarterly data on the proportion of children with cystic fibrosis in England who saw a clinical psychologist within the 12 months prior to their latest annual review. Data is not held prior to 2019 and information on Quarter 4 in 2021/22 is not yet available.
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Quarter 1 | 78.6% | 48.7% | 63.8% |
Quarter 2 | 57.3% | 37.3% | 44.2% |
Quarter 3 | 66.1% | 50.0% | 58.2% |
Quarter 4 | 58.6% | 55.8% | - |
Source: NHS England
The following table shows quarterly data on the proportion of adults with cystic fibrosis in England who saw a clinical psychologist within the 12 months prior to their latest annual review. Data is not held prior to 2019 and information on Quarter 4 in 2021/22 is not yet available.
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Quarter 1 | 82.2% | 20.4% | 33.3% |
Quarter 2 | 72.6% | 66.8% | 25.4% |
Quarter 3 | 80.2% | 59.6% | 38.5% |
Quarter 4 | 65.3% | 54.6% | - |
Source: NHS England
The information is not available in the format requested. There are a very small number of patients identified as being admitted to hospital through gambling-related diagnoses as the primary diagnosis which NHS Digital publishes in an online format.
However, gambling will often be recorded as a secondary diagnosis which may be a contributory factor towards another diagnosis. In many cases patients will present in through accident and emergency settings. However, data on such patients is not collected in the format requested.
The NHS Long Term Plan published in 2019 announced the creation of 15 new specialist problem gambling clinics with up to £15 million of funding allocated over five years until 2023/24.
The table shows the NHS committed annual spend for problem gambling mental health support:
| Year 1 2019/20 | Year 2 2020/21 | Year 3 2021/22 | Year 4 2022/23 | Year5 2023/24 |
Total annual funding (£million) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
Source: NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes statistics relating to gambling related activities for Corporation Tax, Betting and Gaming Duties and VAT. For Income Tax, information for gambling related activities is not available.
Details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published at [1]
Officials meet regularly with stakeholders from across the gambling sector to hear their views on the gambling market, tax and economic issues.
[1] HMT ministers' meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel - GOV.UK
The requested information can be found in the table below:
Intake to Future Reserves 2020 Strength by Service for 12 Months Ending 30 June for the years 2017 to 2021
12 months ending as at: | 30 June 2017 | 30 June 2018 | 30 June 2019 | 30 June 2020 | 30 June 2021 |
Maritime Reserve | 850 | 750 | 920 | 880 | 800 |
Army Reserve | 4,930 | 3,780 | 3,820 | 4,050 | 4,260 |
Royal Air Force Reserve | 660 | 660 | 620 | 530 | 530 |
Future Reserves 2020 Total | 6,440 | 5,190 | 5,360 | 5,460 | 5,590 |
Notes to Table:
1. Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) includes volunteer reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserves (HRR), and volunteer reserve (VR) personnel serving on Additional Duties Commitment (ADC) or Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) contracts. Sponsored Reserves who provide a more cost-effective solution than volunteer reserve are also included in the Army Reserve FR20. Non-Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) and University Officer Cadets and Regular Reservists are excluded. This cohort includes both trained and untrained personnel
2. FR20 programme monitoring intake statistics are derived by month-on-month comparisons of strength. These figures comprise any intake into the FR20 trained and untrained populations and include personnel coming from the Regular Armed Forces, or any other reserve population not included in the FR20
3. All Services intake includes transfers between the Maritime Reserve, Army Reserve (Gp A) inc. VR FTRS and RAF Reserves
4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts.
The total area of Ministry of Defence land and the number of sites sold in the last five years is shown in the table below, together with additional receipts such as clawback and overage.
Disposal Receipts | Additional Receipts | Total | |||||
Financial Year | Gross | No of Sites | Built Estate Ha | Training Estate Ha | Area Ha | Gross | Gross |
2020-21 | £104,401,667 | 24 | 120.00 | 16.24 | 136.24 | £1,476,791 | £105,878,458 |
2019-20 | £80,423,946 | 39 | 355.64 | 15.59 | 371.23 | £1,908,810 | £82,332,756 |
2018-19 | £79,354,540 | 46 | 52.69 | 40.45 | 93.14 | £3,020,293 | £82,374,833 |
2017-18 | £173,449,606 | 29 | 547.28 | 0 | 547.28 | £3,207,499 | £176,657,105 |
2016-17 | £83,641,505 | 28 | 521.496 | 5.13 | 526.626 | £7,022,085 | £90,663,590 |
Total | £521,271,264 | 166 | 1597.11 | 77.41 | 1674.516 | £16,635,478 | £537,906,742 |
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A table detailing the value of each site has been placed in the library of the House.
The Integrated Review and Spending Review (IR/SR) introduced greater flexibility in how Defence could employ its workforce types (Armed Forces Regular, Reserve, Defence Civilian and Contractors) which has made the continued use of a fixed workforce requirement for individual components of the Whole Force less appropriate. We are in the process of agreeing a new Indicative Planned Strength which will provide a clearer indication of the Armed Forces planned strength going forward. It will reflect the Whole Force Strategic Workforce plans that are currently being finalised and reflect the changes in organisational structure introduced following the IR/SR.
The Integrated Review and Spending Review (IR/SR) introduced greater flexibility in how Defence could employ its workforce types (Armed Forces Regular, Reserve, Defence Civilian and Contractors) which has made the continued use of a fixed workforce requirement for individual components of the Whole Force less appropriate. We are in the process of agreeing a new Indicative Planned Strength which will provide a clearer indication of the Armed Forces planned strength going forward. It will reflect the Whole Force Strategic Workforce plans that are currently being finalised and reflect the changes in organisational structure introduced following the IR/SR.
As at 1 July 2021, there are 111,270 British Army Regular, Gurkha and Reserve Personnel based in the UK.
Table 1. Regulars based in the UK, by Country as at 1 July 2021
Country | Strength |
Total | 78,420 |
England | 71,380 |
Wales | 1,460 |
Scotland | 3,910 |
Northern Ireland | 1,680 |
Table 2. Gurkhas based in the UK, by Country as at 1 July 2021
Country | Strength |
Total | 3,300 |
England | 3,210 |
Wales | 90 |
Scotland | 10 |
Northern Ireland | - |
Table 3. FR20 Reserves based in the UK, by Country as at 1 July 2021
Country | Strength |
Total | 29,550 |
England | 21,480 |
Wales | 1,700 |
Scotland | 4,490 |
Northern Ireland | 1,880 |
Notes
The requested information can be found in the tables below:
Table 1 - UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas Strength by Service as at 1 July for the years 2017 to 2021
| 1 July 2017 | 1 July 2018 | 1 July 2019 | 1 July 2020 | 1 July 2021 |
Royal Navy/Royal Marines UK Regular Forces | 32,460 | 32,380 | 32,470 | 33,050 | 34,040 |
Army UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas | 85,570 | 83,020 | 81,890 | 82,630 | 85,800 |
Regulars | 82,610 | 79,900 | 78,480 | 78,880 | 81,820 |
Gurkhas | 2,960 | 3,120 | 3,410 | 3,750 | 3,980 |
Royal Air Force UK Regular Forces | 33,010 | 32,850 | 32,830 | 32,820 | 33,370 |
UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas Total | 151,040 | 148,250 | 147,190 | 148,500 | 153,220 |
Notes to table 1:
1. UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas (which have been included separately in the table), mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Regular figures include those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP
2. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel
3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts
4. UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas strength figures are also available in Table 3b of the quarterly Service Personnel Statistics publication, produced by Analysis (Tri-Service): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2021
5. These figures cover all forces including those based overseas.
Table 2 - Intake to UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas by Service for 12 months ending 30 June for the years 2017 to 2021
| 30 June 2017 | 30 June 2018 | 30 June 2019 | 30 June 2020 | 30 June 2021 |
Royal Navy/Royal Marines UK Regular Forces | 2,880 | 3,070 | 3,240 | 3,720 | 4,010 |
Army UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas | 8,240 | 6,970 | 8,200 | 9,560 | 11,190 |
Regulars | 7,970 | 6,700 | 7,800 | 9,130 | 10,850 |
Gurkhas | 270 | 270 | 400 | 430 | 340 |
Royal Air Force UK Regular Forces | 1,950 | 2,150 | 2,480 | 2,400 | 2,490 |
UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas Total | 13,070 | 12,190 | 13,920 | 15,690 | 17,690 |
Notes to table 2:
1. UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas (which have been included separately in the table), mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Regular figures include those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP
2. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel
3. Figures show Intake to UK Regular Forces, both trained and untrained. Intake comprises new entrants, re-entrants, direct trained entrants (including professionally qualified Officers), intake to the Army from the Gurkhas and intake from the reserves
4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts
5. UK Regular Forces Intake figures (not including Gurkhas) are also available in Table 5a of the quarterly Service Personnel Statistics publication, produced by Analysis (Tri-Service): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2021
The recorded expenditure on advertising by the three Services, for the most recent full financial year, is as follows:
Financial Year | Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force |
2020-21 | £16,937,533 | £11,819,962 | £5,721,246 |
The number of prosecutions for offences relating to the supply of illegal, unregulated or black market gambling services are provided in the attached table and published in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool’, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987731/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2020.xlsx
The specific offences selected are listed below:
The Ministry of Justice publishes annual coroner statistics which include all short form and narrative conclusions such as accident or misadventure, open and suicide.
However, the statistics do not include the motivating factor behind the deaths as it is beyond the coroner’s jurisdiction to determine why someone died. The coroner’s statutory role is limited to determining the identity of the deceased; how, when and where they died; and any information needed to register the death.