Lord Bishop of St Albans

This research is a welcome addition to the canon of research on the efficacy of diversity and inclusion (D&I) training.

We removed central unconscious bias training following the 2020 Behavioural Insight Team report which concluded that unconscious bias training was ineffective. This is supported by the recent report on the Inclusion at Work Panel’s recommendations for improving D&I practice in the workplace (published 20 March 2024). We are currently considering these recommendations, including the recommendation to develop a digital tool kit to assess the rigour, efficacy and value for money of a range of D&I practices, including training interventions.

In the past three years, the Gambling Commission has published details of two enforcement cases which have had links to deaths by suicide.

The Office for National Stastics’s process of collecting mortality statistics is separate from gambling operator data. The Gambling Commission asks operators to notify the Commission if they are made aware of a death by suicide which may be linked to their gambling facilities. This enables the Commission to make enquiries to determine whether there has been a breach of social responsibility codes and licence conditions and whether compliance or enforcement action is appropriate.

To strengthen provisions further, the Commission has recently opened a consultation on reporting deaths by suicide. The proposals would require licensees to inform the Commission when they become aware that any customer has died by suicide, whether or not there is a clear link to their gambling activity.

The CPS is working closely with stakeholders, including FGM support organisations, to develop a new VAWG Strategy to bring more offenders to justice and to improve victims’ experience of the criminal justice system. It will be published in Summer 2023.

From 2014 to date, CPS data for the number of cases prosecuted and the outcomes is:

Between 2014 – 15 and 2017 – 18, this data included cases that included the forced marriage flag on the CPS’s case management system as well as cases charged as forced marriage. In 2018 – 19, the CPS conducted quality assurance checks on the guidance for applying the forced marriage flag. The data for that year does not include flagged cases but only cases charged as a forced marriage offence. The most recent data (2019 – 20) includes flagged cases but reflects the updated guidance on applying the flag which has resulted in improved accuracy.

The UK takes the security and resilience of critical infrastructure seriously. Each Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sector has a Lead Government Department responsible for working with owners and operators to identify and mitigate risks to their sites. They are also supported by the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Protective Security Authority who provide expert advice and guidance to both public and private organisations to identify risks and vulnerabilities to the UK’s national infrastructure.

As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses an epoch-defining challenge and an economic threat to a range of government policy areas, including CNI. The Government actively monitors threats to UK critical national infrastructure, and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect sensitive assets where appropriate to protect national security.

As an open economy, the government welcomes foreign trade and investment, including from China, where it supports growth and jobs in the UK, meets our stringent legal and regulatory requirements, and does not compromise our national security.

The government has powers under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA) to scrutinise and, where necessary, intervene in acquisitions of control over entities and assets in or linked to the UK that may pose national security risks. These powers apply to all acquirers regardless of nationality. The government will not hesitate to use our powers to protect national security where we identify concerns.

Further detail on investment screening activity is available in the NSIA Annual Report, which was published on 11 July 2023 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-security-and-investment-act-2021-annual-report-2023

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the response attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Rt Rev. the Lord Bishop of St Albans

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

25 July 2023

Dear Lord Bishop,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many deaths occurred in England and Wales in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021 and (4) 2022 where malnutrition was either the cause of death or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate (HL9519); and how many deaths that occurred in England and Wales in the past four years mentioned gambling anywhere on the death certificate (HL9520).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. Causes mentioned on the death certificate are converted to International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, with the underlying cause of death defined as the disease or injury that initiated the events that directly lead to the death. At the ONS, we use the term “due to” to refer to the underlying cause of a death and the term “involving” where a cause is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.

The ICD codes for malnutrition are E40 to E46, which come under the endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases sub-chapter. This consists of:

• E40- Kwashiorkor

• E41- Nutritional Marasmus

• E42- Marasmic kwashiorkor

• E43- Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutrition

• E44- Protein-energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degree

• E45- Retarded development following protein-energy malnutrition

• E46- Unspecified protein-energy malnutrition

Table 1 shows the number of deaths due to and involving malnutrition ICD-10 codes, that occurred from 2019 to 2022, and were registered by 7 July 2023, in England and Wales. Deaths due to malnutrition are very uncommon; mortality data and hospital admissions both show that malnutrition is usually accompanied with several other diagnoses. Further information on the nature of malnutrition as a cause of death can be found on our blog [1] .

The ICD codes for gambling consist of:

• Z72.6- Gambling and betting

• F63.0- Pathological gambling

There were no deaths in the past four years involving gambling ICD-10 codes registered in England and Wales. While these codes exist, they are likely to be used only in the case of medically diagnosed gambling addiction. To identify some deaths involving gambling, we can also use the coroner’s text report from deaths registered involving suicide (ICD codes X60 to X84, Y10 to Y34). It is possible that more suicides were related to gambling, but this cannot be definitively stated, as not all the circumstances are necessarily known or reported in the death registration by the coroner. Table 2 shows the number of deaths where gambling was mentioned in the coroner’s text, that occurred from 2019 to 2022, and were registered by 31 December 2022 [2] , registered in England and Wales.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Numbers of deaths due to and involving malnutrition, deaths occurring from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022, England and Wales [3,4,5,6].

Source: Office for National Statistics

Table 2: Numbers of deaths involving intentional self-harm and events of undetermined intent where gambling was mentioned in the coroner’s text, deaths occurring from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022, England and Wales [4,7,8].

Source: Office for National Statistics

[1] https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2018/02/14/deaths-involving-malnutrition-have-been-on-the-rise-but-nhs-neglect-is-not-to-blame/

[2] For information on the impact of registration delays please see: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/impactofregistrationdelaysonmortalitystatisticsinenglandandwales/latest

[3] Figures are for deaths occurring in each period and registered by 7 July 2023.

[4] Figures include deaths of non-residents.

[5] International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) codes are as follows; E40, Kwashiorkor; E41, Nutritional marasmus; E42, Marasmic kwashiorkor; E43, Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutrition; E44, Protein-energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degree; E45, Retarded development following protein-energy malnutrition; E46, Unspecified protein-energy malnutrition.

[6] Number of deaths by ICD-10 code are available through our explorable dataset NOMIS from 2013 onwards, this can be accessed here: Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (nomisweb.co.uk)

[7] Figures are for deaths occurring in each period, and registered by 31 December 2022; death registration data for 2023 are provisional and do not yet provide coroner’s text information.

[8] International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) codes are as follows; X60 to X84 and Y10 to Y34.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the response attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Rt Rev. the Lord Bishop of St Albans

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

25 July 2023

Dear Lord Bishop,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many deaths occurred in England and Wales in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021 and (4) 2022 where malnutrition was either the cause of death or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate (HL9519); and how many deaths that occurred in England and Wales in the past four years mentioned gambling anywhere on the death certificate (HL9520).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. Causes mentioned on the death certificate are converted to International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, with the underlying cause of death defined as the disease or injury that initiated the events that directly lead to the death. At the ONS, we use the term “due to” to refer to the underlying cause of a death and the term “involving” where a cause is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.

The ICD codes for malnutrition are E40 to E46, which come under the endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases sub-chapter. This consists of:

• E40- Kwashiorkor

• E41- Nutritional Marasmus

• E42- Marasmic kwashiorkor

• E43- Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutrition

• E44- Protein-energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degree

• E45- Retarded development following protein-energy malnutrition

• E46- Unspecified protein-energy malnutrition

Table 1 shows the number of deaths due to and involving malnutrition ICD-10 codes, that occurred from 2019 to 2022, and were registered by 7 July 2023, in England and Wales. Deaths due to malnutrition are very uncommon; mortality data and hospital admissions both show that malnutrition is usually accompanied with several other diagnoses. Further information on the nature of malnutrition as a cause of death can be found on our blog [1] .

The ICD codes for gambling consist of:

• Z72.6- Gambling and betting

• F63.0- Pathological gambling

There were no deaths in the past four years involving gambling ICD-10 codes registered in England and Wales. While these codes exist, they are likely to be used only in the case of medically diagnosed gambling addiction. To identify some deaths involving gambling, we can also use the coroner’s text report from deaths registered involving suicide (ICD codes X60 to X84, Y10 to Y34). It is possible that more suicides were related to gambling, but this cannot be definitively stated, as not all the circumstances are necessarily known or reported in the death registration by the coroner. Table 2 shows the number of deaths where gambling was mentioned in the coroner’s text, that occurred from 2019 to 2022, and were registered by 31 December 2022 [2] , registered in England and Wales.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Numbers of deaths due to and involving malnutrition, deaths occurring from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022, England and Wales [3,4,5,6].

Source: Office for National Statistics

Table 2: Numbers of deaths involving intentional self-harm and events of undetermined intent where gambling was mentioned in the coroner’s text, deaths occurring from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022, England and Wales [4,7,8].

Source: Office for National Statistics

[1] https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2018/02/14/deaths-involving-malnutrition-have-been-on-the-rise-but-nhs-neglect-is-not-to-blame/

[2] For information on the impact of registration delays please see: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/impactofregistrationdelaysonmortalitystatisticsinenglandandwales/latest

[3] Figures are for deaths occurring in each period and registered by 7 July 2023.

[4] Figures include deaths of non-residents.

[5] International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) codes are as follows; E40, Kwashiorkor; E41, Nutritional marasmus; E42, Marasmic kwashiorkor; E43, Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutrition; E44, Protein-energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degree; E45, Retarded development following protein-energy malnutrition; E46, Unspecified protein-energy malnutrition.

[6] Number of deaths by ICD-10 code are available through our explorable dataset NOMIS from 2013 onwards, this can be accessed here: Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (nomisweb.co.uk)

[7] Figures are for deaths occurring in each period, and registered by 31 December 2022; death registration data for 2023 are provisional and do not yet provide coroner’s text information.

[8] International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) codes are as follows; X60 to X84 and Y10 to Y34.

I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answers - HL7792 and HL8058 - provided in May 2023.

Modern slavery is a barbaric crime which we are determined to stamp out. In 2022, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published its assessment of the human rights situation in Xinjiang, which found that China had carried out "serious human rights violations" against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

The Government's overseas business risk guidance sets out the risks of operating in Xinjiang and urges UK companies to conduct appropriate due diligence and consider their corporate responsibilities when making business decisions. The Minister for Industry and Economic Security has requested meetings with named manufacturers in the Human Rights Watch report to discuss this issue in more detail.

The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Living Wage to £11.44 an hour for workers aged 21 and over in April 2024 - meeting the manifesto target of two thirds of median earnings and ending low hourly pay for this group. National Minimum Wage rates for younger workers and apprentices will also increase significantly.

We commend employers who can pay more than the statutory minimum rates, but recognise that the ability to do so varies. The LPC takes into account affordability for business and the wider impact on the economy.

In the UK children’s employment is regulated through national and local legislation. In England the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (amended 1998), along with byelaws made by local authorities, prohibits employment of children aged under 14, and places restrictions on the hours and types of work those aged 14 and over can undertake.

We engage in regular conversation with businesses who utilise the service of delivery drivers. This department continues to work closely with business to ensure that risks are minimised by ensuring business has robust onboarding systems and processes in place, to cover matters such as age verification.

Carbon markets have huge potential to reduce the cost of meeting net zero, both in the UK and globally. This will help reduce the worst impacts of climate change, including for the most vulnerable communities.

However, the Government is clear that for carbon markets to deliver, they need to demonstrate integrity and offer appropriate social protections. The report raises serious concerns about the impact of this project on Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs), in addition to its delivery of real and permanent carbon reductions.

The Government has acted both through our international climate finance and by supporting global integrity initiatives to improve transparency and safeguarding in the market. We will continue to ensure robust safeguards are in place through our international climate finance programming; and beyond this will continue to work through international fora, including the integrity initiatives and negotiations, to ensure IPLC voices are heard as the market evolves.

We are supporting rural homes and homes off the gas grid through targeted energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Home Upgrade Grant. The Home Upgrade Grant delivers energy efficiency upgrades to low-income households living in the least energy efficient homes off the gas grid.

The Warm Home Discount scheme provides low-income and vulnerable households across Great Britain, including rural areas, with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill.

This year, low income or vulnerable rural households may also be in receipt of the £900 Cost of Living Payment which is being paid across three instalments.

Years of world-leading green investment has meant network operators have experienced record demand for connections to the electricity network. We have increased the amount of renewable energy connected to the grid more than sixfold since 2010.

Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to release capacity and improve the connections process, to accelerate connections. Actions already underway by network companies are expected to see a reduction in transmission connection timescales of 2-10 years, for the majority of existing projects. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a joint action plan on accelerating connections this summer.

The regulatory framework for investment in and connections to the electricity network is the responsibility of Ofgem. For connection applications from 1 April 2023, Ofgem has removed the requirement for demand connection customers to contribute to any distribution network reinforcement costs, this would include installing onsite generation on a farm below its maximum demand. For generation in excess of maximum demand for a site, Ofgem has reduced the network reinforcement contribution required.

Connection customers must fund upgrades to a three-phase connection cable, however an Independent Connection Provider can provide this which can reduce costs.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), worth £7.3billion, provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses are protected from high energy costs this winter period.

Following a review of the EBRS, a new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) starts on 1 April 2023, and all eligible non-domestic customers, except for those experiencing low energy costs, will automatically receive a per unit discount on their bills of up to £19.61/MW for electricity, and £6.97/MW for gas.

The Government has worked closely with internet service providers to ensure provision of social tariffs for those on Universal Credit and other means tested benefits – including Pension Credit.

Ofcom’s latest Affordability Report shows awareness of social tariffs amongst eligible groups has increased from 16% in February 2022, to 47% in April 2023. The Government recognises more is needed to ensure eligible households know about the support available and continues to work closely with operators, charities, and consumer groups to raise awareness of social tariffs.

In July, Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, wrote to the sector to set out the regulator’s expectation that they should do more to promote awareness, such as by highlighting tariffs on bills and end-of-contract notifications. We continue to work closely with Ofcom to monitor public awareness of social tariffs as well as the other barriers to take up.

The latest World Meteorological Organization reports, with contributions from the Met Office, show that El Niño is emerging. Latest forecasts suggest it is likely to be a large event, which could drive record global heat and produce widespread climatic impacts in tropical countries. The Met Office is closely monitoring the evolution of El Niño, which is expected to peak at the end of the year. The Met Office will continue to provide forecasts and advice on associated impacts to Government and other stakeholders, to support mitigation of potential impacts in countries that will be adversely affected by El Niño.

Ofcom estimates that as of October 2022, 13,000 customers have opted for a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband service from Starlink. Based on analysis of Starlink’s data, at least some of these customers are based in areas which do not have access to traditional decent broadband services. Premises may also use satellite services in conjunction with other terrestrial services.

Ofcom estimated that at the end of 2021, there were 25,500 fixed broadband satellite connections. This data represents data collected from a non-exhaustive list of UK satellite service providers (excluding Starlink), and most likely to be based on Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) services.

Ofcom publishes 4G coverage data in its Connected Nations Report. As of September 2022, 4,544,995 (99%) rural premises have outdoor 4G premises coverage from at least one mobile network operator (MNO), with 4,042,465 (88%) having coverage from all 4 MNOs. The Shared Rural Network programme will help provide 4G coverage to 280,000 rural premises and provide consumers with more choice of provider.

Geographically differentiated pricing is not allowed in the UK. Internet Service Providers should therefore not charge differential prices to consumers in rural locations and Ofcom has prohibited Openreach from introducing geographical pricing on its network. Ofcom’s Connected Nation report also shows that 97% of UK homes have access to superfast broadband with gigabit capable infrastructure services available to 70% of premises - which means consumers have a choice of services depending on their area.

Ofcom collects coverage as part of its reporting requirements, most recently in its Connected Nations Report, with data for the period to September 2022.

Ofcom reports that 96% of rural premises have indoor 4G coverage from at least one operator, rising to 99% for outdoor coverage. This equates to c.195,000 rural premises not having 4G indoor coverage, with c.26,500 not having outdoor 4G coverage.

With 2G and 3G coverage added in, 99% of rural premises have indoor voice coverage from at least one operator, rising to approximately 100% for outdoor coverage. This equates to 35,000 rural premises not having indoor voice coverage, with c. 6,900 not having outdoor voice coverage.

The Shared Rural Network programme will see the UK’s geographic (landmass) 4G coverage extend to 95% by the end of the programme, reducing rural ‘not spots’, and levelling up coverage between rural and urban areas.

Ofcom reports that 95% of UK premises have access to an Mobile Network Operator (MNO) Fixed Wireless Access Service. 7% of premises have access to a network operated by a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP), which operate wireless networks independently of an MNO and coverage may therefore overlap. The data is not broken down by rurality.

In relation to broadband coverage, Ofcom reports that there are approximately 29,000 (~1%) rural premises in the UK unable to access a decent broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload through a fixed or WISP broadband connection. We expect this number to fall as broadband rollout continues through commercial investment and publicly-funded deployment such as Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network. Any premises unable to access a decent broadband connection is eligible to request one under the broadband Universal Service Obligation.

Commercial services for both Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are available across the UK. These services may not be suitable for premises in all locations, however.

As part of its Telecommunications Market Data Update, Ofcom reported that there were approximately 30.5 million fixed-line telephone services (including PSTN, ISDN and managed VoIP connections) in the UK. Ofcom does not break these down by rurality. Any premises which do not have access to a landline can request one under the telephony Universal Service Obligation.

The markets for alternative fuels – including heating oil, coal, LPG, and biomass – contain a large range of suppliers not subject to the same regulation as electricity and gas suppliers. This means there is no single regulated standard price to modify by the imposition of a price cap.

The Government has doubled support to £200 for alternatively fuelled households, in recognition of the pressures caused by these rising fuel costs. The Government will continue to monitor the prices of alternative fuels and will consider further intervention if required to protect UK households from extraordinary fuel prices.

Households reliant on oil or Liquefied Petroleum Gas to heat their homes will receive the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP).

The AFP will ensure that households which do not benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee, receive support for the cost of the fuel they use.

Households eligible for these payments in Great Britain will receive £100 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter. Households who are eligible but do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier will receive the £100 via the AFP Alternative Fund.

The Government has no plans for a price cap on alternative fuels.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme is available to all eligible non-domestic energy customers, including businesses, charities and the public sector and will provide a discount on the wholesale costs of gas and electricity. This includes farming businesses on eligible non-domestic energy supply contracts.

The £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) supports a wide range of projects, including waste heat recovery, at industrial sites with high energy use across the UK.

The IETF has supported a number of these projects thus far, one such example is the recovery project undertaken by GSK Ltd in County Durham, which includes the installation of a heat pump to recover waste heat from site compressors and displace heat demand on natural gas boilers. The Fund is currently open for applications and will have a further two application rounds this year.

The Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy sets out our plans to transform heat and buildings over the next decade. This includes a continuation of local authority delivery through increased funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) (investing a further £800 million over 2022/23 to 2024/25, which is planned to be open to all registered providers of social housing) and HUG (investing £950 million over 2022/23 to 2024/25). Both schemes aim to improve the energy performance of low-income households, support low carbon heat installations, help to reduce fuel poverty and build the green retrofitting sector to benefit all homeowners.

In addition, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is an obligation the Government has placed on the larger energy suppliers to make energy-efficiency upgrades to low-income homes throughout Britain. We have committed to extending ECO from 2022 to 2026, boosting its value to £1 billion a year. Meanwhile, the Government has removed VAT on energy-saving measures such as insulation to help householders with the cost of making their homes more energy efficient.

In addition to this, the Government has removed VAT on energy-saving measures such as insulation to help householders with the cost of making their homes more energy efficient.

My department is closely monitoring the situation at the British Museum, and engaging directly with the Museum on this concerning issue.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has spoken with the Chairman of the British Museum about this issue on a number of occasions and has sought assurances on the immediate measures that have been put in place to increase security at the Museum. She has also sought assurances on the details of the scope and timetable for the independent review of security which the Museum has instigated, led by a former trustee, Nigel Boardman, and the Chief Constable of British Transport Police, Lucy D’Orsi. The review will also support efforts to recover all missing collection items.

The matter is also currently under investigation by the Economic Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police. The British Museum is working with the police to support their investigations.

My department and I will continue to work closely with the British Museum – and the wider museums sector – to ensure that lessons are learned from this incident once the independent review is complete.

Further details on this matter have been set out in the Written Statements which the Secretary of State and I made to Parliament on 4 September 2023 (HCWS994 and HLWS979).

While millions of people gamble without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences. His Majesty’s Government recognises the importance of continuing to collect data, evidence, and research into the types of harms experienced by problem gamblers.

The Gambling Commission is undertaking a project to improve the way it collects data on adult gambling participation and the incidence, nature, and severity of harm experienced as a result of gambling, whether one’s own or someone else’s. This will inform the new Gambling Survey for Great Britain, which the Commission aims to launch this year. This will support future research and provide decision-makers with a strong evidence base.

The Government will introduce a statutory levy, part of which will be dedicated to funding research to help improve the evidence base on gambling. A consultation on the levy will be published later this summer.

Our Gambling Act review White Paper also committed to working with UK Research & Innovation to stimulate interest in gambling as a research field among researchers across a range of academic disciplines.

Gambling businesses are required to have their own self-exclusion arrangements in place so customers can self-exclude from individual operators. They are also required to participate in Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Schemes, which allow a customer to make a single request to self-exclude from a licensed gambling sector, either nationally or on a local basis. Further information about each of the schemes can be found on the Commission’s website. Nearly 400,000 consumers have used GAMSTOP to self-exclude from all online gambling licensed by the Commission.

The Commission works closely with the schemes, including hosting a regular Self-Exclusion Scheme Owners Group meeting which is chaired by GAMSTOP. The group works together to improve effectiveness and is currently working on making it easier for consumers to access information and self-exclude across sectors in one place.

In April 2020, new licence conditions came into effect which banned both online and land-based gambling operators from accepting payments from credit cards (including via e-wallets) for gambling services.

The Gambling Commission has published an interim evaluation of the ban on credit card gambling which showed that the measure had been successful and that there had not been widespread displacement to other forms of credit as payment, but the Commission has committed to continue to monitor the situation.

‘Pay by Phone’ transactions are not directly covered by the ban but are limited by law to £40 per transaction and no more than £240 per month. These limits cover all services charged to telephone bills, such as music downloads. This is not a common means of spending on gambling, currently accounting for around 0.4% of annual gross gambling yield (including lotteries), and the Phone-paid Services Authority market review suggests that gambling expenditure via telphone has decreased since the credit card ban was introduced.

The 2018 Health Survey for England showed that lotteries were associated with the lowest rates of problem gambling of all gambling products considered, and the National Lottery Operator is mandated under its licence to have player protection strategies.

The Operator’s training programme, ‘Being a Responsible Retailer’, supports National Lottery retailers on risks related to National Lottery products and focuses on supporting healthy playing and preventing underage playing of the National Lottery. This consists of online and face-to-face training, healthy playing knowledge checks, and further support where needed. The operator also provides retailers with advice through leaflets and telephone calls to improve awareness and to help the retention of responsible retailing principles. Retailers are also trained in engaging with customers about healthy playing — including direction to GamCare as appropriate — and about signs they should look out for to help identify players who may be at risk.

To ensure that retailers are benefiting from and acting on its training, the operator runs a healthy playing ‘mystery shopper’ programme, alongside the ‘Operation 18’ programme to ensure that retailers are correctly asking for proof of age. As a result of these initiatives, 94% of National Lottery retailers visited in 2022/23 successfully passed a healthy playing knowledge check. If a retailer does not pass these visits or checks, it is offered additional training.

Each society lottery operator will have their own specific approach to training retailers about the risk of its products, and must comply with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice and Social Responsibility Code for society lotteries.