Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a geographic concentration of higher-stake gaming machines in deprived communities on people in those areas.
Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises that in England, gambling premises are more likely to be situated in the most deprived areas, we do not hold official data on the relationship between deprivation and the geographic concentration of higher-stake gaming machines.
The Prime Minister’s recent announcement that we intend to revoke the ‘aim to permit’ is a step further in the government's aim to give local people a real say over what businesses can open in their town centres and how their streets should look. This will allow councils to make decisions that take into account local circumstances such as geographic concentration and deprivation. The government will consult on these changes and further details of the consultation will be published in due course.
In addition to consulting on the ‘aim to permit’, the government also intends to proceed with the commencement of Gambling Impact Assessments (GIAs), introduced through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. GIAs will strengthen the power of licensing authorities to reject applications for new gambling premises, by designating certain areas where the grant of a premises licence is “not likely to be reasonably consistent with one or more of the licensing objectives” given the cumulative impact of licences in an area, or for any other reason. We will consider the role of GIAs in a new licensing regime as part of the government's forthcoming consultation.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of data provided by gambling operators on land-based gambling, including where records are not held digitally.
Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Land-based operators have a duty to share data with the Gambling Commission on regulatory returns. Condition 15.3.1 of the License Conditions and Codes of Practice states that ‘within 28 days of the end of each quarterly period licensees must submit an accurate Regulatory Return to the Commission’. In addition, changes to Regulatory Returns which came into effect on 1 July 2024 also require all operators, including land-based, to submit Regulatory Returns every quarter from July 2024.
The Commission also has a rigorous data quality assurance process and, where appropriate, queries all the data submitted. Quarterly updates and the full annual official industry statistics are subsequently published on the Commission’s website.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take in the case of Ryan Cornelius that differ from those taken by the previous administration.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to raise Mr Ryan Cornelius' detention and welfare privately with the UAE authorities at appropriate opportunities. We continue to support his family's clemency applications, including through ministerial letters and I have raised their case with my Ministerial counterpart. The newly appointed Special Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions will review a small number of the most complex and intractable detention cases to determine where his engagement may add value and what different steps can be taken. The Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions has been briefed on the case. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Cornelius and his family and remain in close contact regarding any developments.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Prime Minister plans to raise the detention of Ryan Cornelius directly with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to raise Mr Ryan Cornelius' detention and welfare privately with the UAE authorities at appropriate opportunities. We continue to support his family's clemency applications, including through ministerial letters and I have raised their case with my Ministerial counterpart. The newly appointed Special Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions will review a small number of the most complex and intractable detention cases to determine where his engagement may add value and what different steps can be taken. The Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions has been briefed on the case. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Cornelius and his family and remain in close contact regarding any developments.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publicly call on the Government of the United Arab Emirates to release Ryan Cornelius immediately.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to raise Mr Ryan Cornelius' detention and welfare privately with the UAE authorities at appropriate opportunities. We continue to support his family's clemency applications, including through ministerial letters and I have raised their case with my Ministerial counterpart. The newly appointed Special Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions will review a small number of the most complex and intractable detention cases to determine where his engagement may add value and what different steps can be taken. The Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions has been briefed on the case. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Cornelius and his family and remain in close contact regarding any developments.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Special Envoy for Complex Detention Cases will demand the release of Ryan Cornelius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to raise Mr Ryan Cornelius' detention and welfare privately with the UAE authorities at appropriate opportunities. We continue to support his family's clemency applications, including through ministerial letters and I have raised their case with my Ministerial counterpart. The newly appointed Special Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions will review a small number of the most complex and intractable detention cases to determine where his engagement may add value and what different steps can be taken. The Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions has been briefed on the case. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Cornelius and his family and remain in close contact regarding any developments.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of treatment of Buddhists and other religious minorities in North Korea; what assessment he has made of the level of restrictions on Buddhist worship and religious practice in that country; and what steps he is taking to help uphold freedom of religion and belief in North Korea.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of ongoing, widespread and systematic human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief. Reports indicate that individuals practicing religion can face surveillance, imprisonment or other serious penalties.
Promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief for all is a UK priority. We regularly raise concerns about the lack of freedom of religion or belief with DPRK officials and in multilateral fora, including the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. We continue to call on the DPRK to address its appalling human rights record and to comply with its international human rights obligations.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has raised concerns with his German counterpart on the comments of the leader of the Alternative für Deutschland about a resumption of gas supplies to Germany from Russia.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The Government continues to work closely with the Government of Germany and other partners to strengthen European energy security and maintain pressure on Russia. The Foreign Secretary has not raised the reported comments by the leader of the Alternative fur Deutschland with his German counterpart or discussed Russian gas supplies with the Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union. The Foreign Secretary and his German counterpart regularly discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, including support for Ukraine, European security, and the need to maintain pressure on Russia.
The Government supports efforts to strengthen European energy security and reduce dependence on Russian energy. The Government will continue to work with European partners to reduce the revenues available to Russia to fund its war against Ukraine.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is the Government's policy that the Nord Stream pipelines should remain closed and not used for the supply of Russian gas.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The Government continues to work closely with the Government of Germany and other partners to strengthen European energy security and maintain pressure on Russia. The Foreign Secretary has not raised the reported comments by the leader of the Alternative fur Deutschland with his German counterpart or discussed Russian gas supplies with the Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union. The Foreign Secretary and his German counterpart regularly discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, including support for Ukraine, European security, and the need to maintain pressure on Russia.
The Government supports efforts to strengthen European energy security and reduce dependence on Russian energy. The Government will continue to work with European partners to reduce the revenues available to Russia to fund its war against Ukraine.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union on Russian gas supplies to Germany.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The Government continues to work closely with the Government of Germany and other partners to strengthen European energy security and maintain pressure on Russia. The Foreign Secretary has not raised the reported comments by the leader of the Alternative fur Deutschland with his German counterpart or discussed Russian gas supplies with the Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union. The Foreign Secretary and his German counterpart regularly discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, including support for Ukraine, European security, and the need to maintain pressure on Russia.
The Government supports efforts to strengthen European energy security and reduce dependence on Russian energy. The Government will continue to work with European partners to reduce the revenues available to Russia to fund its war against Ukraine.