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 covid-19 transmission risk posed by gaming machines in (a) adult gaming centres, (b) pubs and (c) licensed betting offices.
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has listened carefully to the views of the scientific community, the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the pandemic.
Data and scientific advice informing the fight against COVID-19 are published on gov.uk and specific relevant findings are shared in presentations accompanying significant policy announcements.
Unfortunately we know that the virus spreads readily in indoor environments where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together. These restrictions do not single out Adult Gaming Centres but apply to a wide range of settings where the risk of transmission is high.