Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to support people with a gambling addiction.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
We published the Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures in May. This set out measures to strengthen protections around gaming machines, including cutting the maximum stake on B2 machine from £100 to £2, online gambling, and gambling advertising. It also set out action on treatment and support for those who experience harm, including initiatives to improve the evidence on treatment needs and effectiveness, expand access to existing services and strengthen the voluntary system for funding support. Government has also encouraged industry to increase its funding for third sector initiatives to support people with a gambling addiction.
GambleAware, an independent charity, commissions treatment services, including the National Gambling Helpline and counselling services, specialist treatment delivered by the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and the Gordon Moody Association. GambleAware aims to triple access to its treatment services across the country and recently announced the establishment of a further specialist NHS clinic and Problem Gambling Support team in Leeds.
As demonstrated by the report Gambling Behaviour in Great Britain 2016, which is based on the combined Health Surveys, there is an association between mental health and problem or risky gambling behaviour. Some problem gamblers will therefore access support through services for other addictions and mental health conditions. The National Institute for Care and Health Excellence (NICE) has been commissioned to explore developing a guideline on non-chemical addictions, including gambling, which would give support to clinicians seeking to support problem gamblers.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the economic effect of broadband blackspots in (a) the UK (b) England (c) London and (d) the London Borough of Bexley.
Answered by Margot James
The Department has not conducted a specific analysis of the economic impact of poor broadband connectivity in the UK, England, London, or the London Borough of Bexley.
We have published a further independent evaluation of the Department’s superfast programme, which has provided superfast broadband access to over 4.85 million homes and businesses across the UK, which can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-economic-impact-and-public-value-of-the-superfast-broadband-programme.
The Department has analysed the impacts of superfast broadband, including the economic impact. Our 2013 UK Broadband Impact Study and an evaluation in 2015 of the UK's National Broadband Scheme are both available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-broadband-impact-study--2 and www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uks-national-broadband-scheme-an-independent-evaluation.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timetable is for the decision to reduce the maximum stake allowed for fixed-odds betting terminals to two pounds to be implemented.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
As the Government's response to the Consultation on proposals for changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures set out, the reduction in maximum stake on B2 machines will be delivered through secondary legislation in due course. We are currently preparing draft regulations needed to make the change, alongside engaging with the gambling industry to ensure that there is an appropriate lead-in period to allow for technological changes to be made.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received and from whom since the decision to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to two pounds was announced.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Government’s response to the Consultation on proposed changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures was published on 17th May. Since then, Ministers and officials have met with and received correspondence from a range of stakeholders, including parliamentarians, representatives of the gambling industry, trade associations, and campaign group members.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the annual spend in the UK’s domestic tourism sector in each of the last five years.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Great Britain Tourism Survey and the Great Britain Day Visits Survey show that domestic spend for Great Britain over the previous 5 years has been as follows:
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
Domestic overnight spend (£bn) | £23.3 | £22.7 | £24.8 | £23.1 | £23.7 |
Domestic day visit spend (£bn) | £62.0 | £61.8 | £61.9 | £63.9 | £62.4 |
Total domestic spend (£bn) | £85.3 | £84.5 | £86.8 | £87.0 | £86.1 |
Sources:
Great Britain Tourism Survey:2017 Overview; GB All Trip Purposes
Great Britain Day Visits Survey: 2017 Regional and Demographic Breakdown
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the value to the UK economy of the outbound tourism industry.
Answered by Michael Ellis
UK residents made 72.3m visits abroad in the 12 months to December 2017 and spent £44.7bn. Both figures were up 2% on the same period last year.Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote tourism in outer London.
Answered by Michael Ellis
VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. London features in many of VisitBritain’s campaign, such as the current global marketing campaign ‘I Travel For’ to increase inbound tourism to Great Britain.
VisitBritain also work with travel and tourism partners such as Sony Pictures and Studio Canal, to promote filming locations across London, and Barclays Premier League to convert football fans to visitors, promoting London stadia and their surrounding neighbourhoods. Additionally, VisitBritain work closely with London and Partners to ensure complementary marketing campaigns, including investing £500,000 in London & Partners’ Autumn Season campaign. They are also supporting London & Partners’ culture and dispersal messaging – helping attract visitors to London’s vibrant outer neighbourhoods and supporting the Mayor’s priority of delivering for all Londoners.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures – formal advice, published by the Gambling Commission in March 2018, when he plans to announce a decision on reducing the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
On 31 October 2017 the government published proposals for changes on gaming machines and social responsibility measures. We were clear that we see a case for action on fixed-odds betting terminals, and the consultation outlined a range of options including cutting the maximum stake from £100 to between £50 and £2. The consultation closed on 23 January. On 19 March the Gambling Commission published its advice and the Government will consider this alongside the responses received by the consultation and will publish its response in due course.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of tourism funding from the public purse was allocated to London in each year since 2010.
Answered by Michael Ellis
VisitBritain and VisitEngland do not hold a breakdown of spending at local level, however London features in many of VisitBritain’s campaign, such as the current global marketing campaign ‘I Travel For’ to increase inbound tourism to Great Britain.
VisitBritain also work with travel and tourism partners such as Sony Pictures and Studio Canal, to promote filming locations across London, and Barclays Premier League to convert football fans to visitors, promoting London stadia and their surrounding neighbourhoods. VisitBritain also work closely with London and Partners to ensure complementary marketing campaigns, including investing £500,000 in London & Partners’ Autumn Season campaign.
In addition to this, London-based Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) collaborate with other DMOs across the country as part of several VisitEngland Discover England Fund projects.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of gross domestic product tourism accounts for.
Answered by Michael Ellis
In 2016 Tourism accounted for £66bn GVA, which was 3.8%of the total UK GVA.