Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to implement policies and interventions to reduce gambling-related harms in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has responsibility for the treatment of gambling-related harms. The NHS Long Term Plan published in 2019 announced the creation of 15 new specialist problem gambling clinics with up to £15 million of funding allocated over five years until 2023/24. Five clinics are already in operation, and DHSC continues to support the National Health Service on the phased expansion of services.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the lead government department on gambling, responsible for policy and regulation, and is leading the wide-ranging Review of the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure that the protections in place are appropriate for the digital age. DHSC remains fully supportive of the Review and will continue to work collaboratively with DCMS to advise policy direction where appropriate.