Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps he has taken to tackle clustering of betting shops in town centres.

In April 2014, the Coalition Government published its gambling strategy “Gambling protections and controls" which includeda number of measures to tackle problem gambling - this was in response to concerns following the implementation of the 2005 Act, brought in under the then Government.As part of this approach, new planning legislation came into effect in April 2015 which requires planning permission forany change to use to a betting shop.

Councils can use their Local Plans to shape where retail development should go, ensure the right balance of use classes, and prevent any negative cumulative impact of multiple premises in the same vicinity. Some councils have issued supplementary planning guidance to address directly the proliferation of betting shops in a particular local area.

Councils also have powers under gambling legislation to address problems by individual premises and review the licenses of premises which breach the licensing objectives (e.g. preventing crime and disorder; and protecting children and the vulnerable from harm).

We believe that this balanced approach allows councils to take targeted action to tackle localised problems. We continue to monitor the effects of existing controls and will take action if these are found to be insufficient.