"Clearly, protection for children is key. But as the noble Lord rightly states, loot boxes are not currently legally considered gambling, as individuals are not able to cash out their purchases as currency. Where unlicensed gambling is identified, the Gambling Commission has shown that it will take swift enforcement action. …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"The Government are committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, including children. Industry-led guidance to improve protections to players in relation to loot boxes was published in 2023. A 12-month implementation period ended in July 2024, and we commissioned independent research to assess its effectiveness. We …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"As the noble Earl will be aware, most schools—90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools—have a mobile phone policy limiting students’ use of mobile phones during school hours. We do not want to exclude children from services which are age appropriate. In relation to screen time, the Government …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"As the noble Baroness would expect, I regularly meet with the Gambling Commission and discuss its enforcement activity. I have also met with the Advertising Standards Authority, and, indeed, officials also meet with representatives of the ASA and the Gambling Commission on a range of matters. DCMS has previously raised …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"I have not referred to them as gambling lite. The law is clear that loot boxes are not currently legally considered gambling, for the reasons that the noble Baroness outlined. The grey market is not a legal market, and the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority, where appropriate, take …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"This is about making sure that children are safe. The Government are committed to ensuring that games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, including children. The Government maintain the view that loot boxes should not be purchased by children, unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and that is …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"The noble Baroness correctly identifies that sometimes our debate does not necessarily keep up with developments. One of the major protections we have in place is the Online Safety Act, which applies to online services that allow users to share content and interact with each other. As I have said …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"My noble friend is referring to what we are doing to tackle the illegal market. As Members of your Lordships’ House will be aware, as part of the Budget the Treasury announced an increase for remote duty but at the same time increased funding to tackle the illegal market. We …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"This is exactly the matter being dealt with in the research that the Government have commissioned, which will be published in the near future, along with the Government’s response. I am happy to invite noble Lords who have raised concerns about this into the department to be briefed on the …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech
"I am very aware, as the noble Lord clearly is, of the shortage of specialist thatchers. Since I have been in this role, I have learned a huge amount about the different types of techniques that are used around the country. This is one of the issues we have been …..." Baroness Twycross - View Speech