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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission has a remit to promote safety in bookmakers for staff and customers as part of its work to promote responsible gambling.

There are no plans to conduct an assessment of the effect of single manning in bookmakers.

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland. The Gambling Commission does not have a remit to promote safety in bookmakers for staff and customers.

The Association of British Bookmakers’ (ABB) ‘Safe Bet Alliance’ provides specific guidance on staffing security in bookmakers. This guidance was drafted with the input of the Metropolitan Police, Crimestoppers, and the Institute of Conflict Management and Community Union.

ABB members only operate single manning when a risk assessment has been undertaken. The guidance states that ‘Operators should only allow lone working once a risk assessment has been carried out and where there is evidence to show that lone working at a particular time of the day is safe’.