Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking ensure education on gambling harm is provided by organisations independent of the gambling industry; and whether targeted interventions are planned to educate children on gambling harms.

The updated Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education (RSHE) guidance is clear that children and young people should be taught about the risks associated with gambling, including the accumulation of debt. This guidance can be read in full here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

Content is taught at both primary and secondary education and in reviewing the guidance, the department worked with ‘Gambling With Lives’ as part of the stakeholder engagement process.

Schools have flexibility over how they teach issues and the materials they use, however the guidance is clear that schools should check that external resources are accurate and unbiased.

As part of the statutory gambling levy prevention programme, the Gambling Harms Prevention Grant Fund was launched this month. This may include education programmes and interventions for children and young people, and competing organisations will be required to sign up to demonstrate their commitment to moving towards a new public health approach, independent of industry funding.