Asked by: Baroness Thornton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether bookmakers are offering better odds to those who place bets online as opposed to those who place bets in betting shops; and if so, whether this discriminates against those whose disability means that they can only place bets in a shop.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Businesses, including gambling operators, are able to make commercial decisions with regards to prices offered in different locations and across different platforms and may do so for a variety of reasons, such as differences in cost bases or competition. The Gambling Commission’s focus is on ensuring the prices displayed are clear, transparent and therefore not misleading, thereby allowing a consumer to make an informed decision about whether to bet or not at the terms offered.
If anyone believes that they may have been indirectly discriminated against because of a disability in the provision of a service, they may wish to contact the Equality and Advisory Support Service (EASS), which provides free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with any discrimination concerns.
Asked by: Baroness Thornton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of issuing non-gender-specific official documents to people who do not identify as a particular gender.
Answered by Baroness Northover
Under UK law only male or female is recognised as a gender. We recognise that a very small number of people consider themselves to be of neither gender. We are not aware that that results in any specific detriment, and it is not Government policy to identify such people for the purpose of issuing non-gender-specific official documents.
A specific review on gender markings in the British passport was carried out by Her Majesty's Passport Office, which has been placed in the Library of both Houses. The review concluded that there would be no significant advantages to including a non-gender category along with male and female.