National Lottery Licensing - Written Answers

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission takes into account potential national security implications when awarding National Lottery licences.

Answered by Damian Collins

The process of awarding the licence to run the National Lottery is governed by the National Lottery etc. Act (1993). Under the Act, the Gambling Commission has a duty to ensure that any person who either runs or benefits from the running of the National Lottery is fit and proper and that the Licensee’s operation meets high standards of propriety. The award of the licence is distinct from an acquisition - at no point is the operator appointed to run the lottery the owner of the National Lottery as an asset. The 4th National Lottery licence is due to begin in 2024.

During the competition to run the 4th National Lottery licence, the Commission carried out fit and proper tests on all 4 final stage applicants. Fit and proper checks examine the identity, integrity, criminality and financial standing of those who run, or benefit from running, the National Lottery, or are applying to do so. As part of its duties under the Act, the Commission cannot award the licence unless it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is fit and proper. The Commission is also required to revoke a licence if it becomes satisfied that the licensee is no longer, or indeed never was, fit and proper.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Gambling Commission, as a responsible regulator, sought assurances that none of the final stage applicants were impacted by sanctions against the Russian regime. The Commission was satisfied that this was the case.

In addition, following the announcement of Allwyn as the preferred applicant in March 2022, standard vetting checks (Baseline Personnel Security Standard or BPSS level) are being carried out as planned, on behalf of the Commission, by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person who holds at least 5% interest in the licensee. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.

Written Question

Government Departments: Vacancies

Thursday 21st July 2022

Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many job vacancies there are in each Government (a) department and (b) agency.

Answered by Heather Wheeler

As at 8am on 19 July, there are 3,349 adverts for 10,409 total postings advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website. The below table shows vacancies and posts by department.

Department	Agency (if applicable)	Adverts Live	Total Posts Live
Ministry of Defence	Ministry of Defence	597	1,199
HM Prison & Probation Service	HM Prison & Probation Service	519	3,480
HM Revenue and Customs	HM Revenue and Customs	243	504
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Internal)	Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Internal)	230	262
UK Health Security Agency	UK Health Security Agency	112	175
Home Office	Home Office	107	990
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy	Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy	86	164
Ministry of Justice	Ministry of Justice	82	206
Department for Work and Pensions	Department for Work and Pensions	76	396
Cabinet Office	Cabinet Office	50	60
Department for International Trade	Department for International Trade	50	61
Department of Health and Social Care	Department of Health and Social Care	48	54
Office for National Statistics	Office for National Statistics	47	149
Department for Education	Department for Education	45	71
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory	Defence Science and Technology Laboratory	43	203
Crown Prosecution Service	Crown Prosecution Service	39	82
Health and Safety Executive	Health and Safety Executive	38	63
HM Courts and Tribunals Service	HM Courts and Tribunals Service	38	297
OFGEM	OFGEM	37	57
Natural England	Natural England	36	82
Scottish Government	Scottish Government	34	43
Department for Transport	Department for Transport	30	32
Forestry Commission	Forestry Commission	26	28
HM Treasury	HM Treasury	26	31
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency	Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency	24	36
House of Commons	House of Commons	23	32
Social Security Scotland	Social Security Scotland	22	70
Government Digital Service	Government Digital Service	20	30
Insolvency Service	Insolvency Service	20	34
Homes England	Homes England	19	28
Government Legal Department	Government Legal Department	17	146
DEFRA	Food Standards Agency	16	20
Government Commercial Function	Government Commercial Function	16	29
Care Quality Commission	Care Quality Commission	16	65
Forestry Commission - Forest Research	Forestry Commission - Forest Research	16	16
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities	15	25
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport	15	16
College of Policing	College of Policing	15	44
UK Hydrographic Office	UK Hydrographic Office	15	49
Valuation Office Agency	Valuation Office Agency	14	130
Pensions Regulator	Pensions Regulator	13	16
Met Office	Met Office	13	23
Welsh Government	Welsh Government	13	56
National Crime Agency	National Crime Agency	13	144
The Money and Pensions Service	The Money and Pensions Service	13	18
Government Property Agency	Government Property Agency	12	29
DEFRA	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	12	13
Legal Aid Agency	Legal Aid Agency	11	29
Historic Environment Scotland	Historic Environment Scotland	10	10
HM Land Registry	HM Land Registry	10	18
Information Commissioner's Office	Information Commissioner's Office	10	19
FCDO Services	FCDO Services	10	10
Crown Commercial Service	Crown Commercial Service	9	14
Office for Students	Office for Students	9	20
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills	Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills	9	12
Disclosure & Barring Service	Disclosure & Barring Service	8	16
UK Export Finance	UK Export Finance	8	11
Department for Transport	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency	8	20
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew	Royal Botanic Gardens Kew	8	9
House of Lords	House of Lords	8	9
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation	Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation	7	7
Companies House	Companies House	7	7
Marine Management Organisation	Marine Management Organisation	7	9
Government Office for Science	Government Office for Science	7	28
GCHQ	GCHQ	7	22
UK Space Agency	UK Space Agency	7	7
Joint Nature Conservation Committee	Joint Nature Conservation Committee	6	6
Student Loans Company	Student Loans Company	6	14
Department for Transport	Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency	6	92
Department for Transport	Maritime and Coastguard Agency	6	10
Serious Fraud Office	Serious Fraud Office	5	9
Office of the Public Guardian	Office of the Public Guardian	5	12
Trade Remedies Authority	Trade Remedies Authority	5	5
Planning Inspectorate	Planning Inspectorate	5	7
Cross Departmental Opportunities	Cross Departmental Opportunities	5	9
UK Statistics Authority	UK Statistics Authority	4	4
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service	Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service	4	5
DEFRA	Rural Payments Agency	4	5
Northern Ireland Office	Northern Ireland Office	4	6
Forestry and Land Scotland	Forestry and Land Scotland	4	4
Intellectual Property Office	Intellectual Property Office	4	4
Consumer Scotland	Consumer Scotland	4	5
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education	Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education	4	4
Office of Rail and Road	Office of Rail and Road	4	5
Government Statistical Service	Government Statistical Service	4	40
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre	Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre	4	10
Charity Commission	Charity Commission	4	7
Independent Office for Police Conduct	Independent Office for Police Conduct	4	5
Independent Monitoring Authority	Independent Monitoring Authority	3	3
UK Research and Innovation	UK Research and Innovation	3	3
Government Internal Audit Agency	Government Internal Audit Agency	3	4
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office	Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office	3	7
Medical Research Council	Medical Research Council	3	3
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority	3	3
The National Lottery Community Fund	The National Lottery Community Fund	3	3
DEFRA	Animal and Plant Health Agency	3	3
Defence Electronics & Components Agency	Defence Electronics & Components Agency	3	3
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service	Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service	3	3
Gambling Commission	Gambling Commission	3	3
Registers of Scotland	Registers of Scotland	3	4
Competition & Markets Authority	Competition & Markets Authority	2	3
Innovate UK	Innovate UK	2	3
National Savings and Investments	National Savings and Investments	2	2
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman	Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman	2	2
Housing Ombudsman Service	Housing Ombudsman Service	2	2
MI5	MI5	2	2
DEFRA	Veterinary Medicines Directorate	2	2
Office for Nuclear Regulation	Office for Nuclear Regulation	2	2
Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority)	Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority)	2	3
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom	The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom	2	2
Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council	Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council	2	10
Security Industry Authority	Security Industry Authority	2	3
Office for Environmental Protection	Office for Environmental Protection	1	2
Equality and Human Rights Commission	Equality and Human Rights Commission	1	1
Home Office	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services	1	1
The National Archives	The National Archives	1	1
Valuation Tribunal Service	Valuation Tribunal Service	1	1
DEFRA	Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science	1	2
MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service	MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service	1	1
Government Actuary's Department	Government Actuary's Department	1	5
Environmental Standards Scotland	Environmental Standards Scotland	1	1
Scottish Forestry	Scottish Forestry	1	1
Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority	Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority	1	1
UK Debt Management Office	UK Debt Management Office	1	1
Parole Board	Parole Board	1	1
Criminal Cases Review Commission	Criminal Cases Review Commission	1	1
Youth Justice Board	Youth Justice Board	1	6
Building Digital UK (BDUK)	Building Digital UK (BDUK)	1	1
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence	National Institute for Health and Care Excellence	1	1
	Grand Total	3,349	10,409

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Monday 11th July 2022

Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and (b) Gambling Commission on the implications of the fourth National Lottery licence on levels of (a) Lottery Duty and (b) returns to good causes.

Answered by Simon Clarke

The Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition was an independent process run by the Gambling Commission. The Treasury engaged with senior officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission regarding the Competition as it progressed. HMRC monitor receipts from specific betting and gaming duties, including Lottery Duty.

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Wednesday 30th March 2022

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Gambling Commission took to vet national lottery license applicants during the national lottery license application process, including whether they communicated with and sought assurances from UK and other financial regulators, and UK and other security and police services.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.

We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.

It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.

Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.

Written Question

Business and Retail Trade: Platinum Jubilee 2022

Monday 24th January 2022

Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support (a) high streets and (b) local businesses in their celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Her Majesty's Government is delighted to be supporting the celebrations to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and there are many ways that we are helping high streets and local businesses to join in and benefit from this national moment.

The Government has written to Local Authorities in England, highlighting the many opportunities for their communities to get involved in the celebrations. The Home Office are currently consulting on extending the licensing hours over the bank holiday weekend. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) set out a cross-Whitehall vision through the High Streets Strategy and government’s commitment to support celebrations and involvement of communities.

Those local authorities who have signed up to take part in the Government’s Welcome Back Fund may choose to use their allocation to undertake preparations for the Platinum Jubilee, before the Fund ends on 31 March 2022.

The Platinum Jubilee Emblem is available, free of charge, to all communities and businesses.

The Government’s dedicated Platinum Jubilee website contains information on sources of funding, including £22m of Lottery funding. The website also contains an online map onto which event organisers can add their events and Jubilee celebrations.

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Monday 17th January 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to ensure that the National Lottery License Competition is conducted in accordance with the National Lottery Act 1993 and without political interference.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Gambling Commission is responsible for running the competition for and awarding the next licence to run the National Lottery. DCMS has worked with the Commission on the design of the licence, but is not involved with the competition process or selection of the winning bidder.

Under the National Lottery etc Act 1993, the government shares three statutory duties with the Gambling Commission, to ensure the National Lottery is run with all due propriety, that the interests of every participant are protected, and - subject to those duties - that returns to good causes are maximised. The competition is being run in accordance with these duties.

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Thursday 11th November 2021

Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the involvement of CVC Capital in the bid by Sisal S.p.A for the National Lottery Licence, whether his Department has plans to introduce measures to ensure that (a) CVC Capital upholds obligations to Debenhams pension fund and (b) National Lottery funds will not be used to pay dividends to CVC Capital partners.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.

While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.

As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:

All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;
Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;
Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and
When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.

Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Thursday 11th November 2021

Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what processes are in place to ensure that members of the Board of Commissioners have no conflict of interest pertaining to the Fourth National Lottery Licence process.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;
Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;
Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and
When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Thursday 11th November 2021

Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that political donations made to the Conservative Party by managing parties of CVC Capital, the owner of Sisal S.p.A Group do not influence the Government's approach to the Fourth National Lottery Licence.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;
Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;
Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and
When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

Written Question

National Lottery: Licensing

Thursday 1st July 2021

Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)

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 potential merits of strengthening measures to protect lottery players from harm as part of the Fourth National Lottery licence.

Answered by John Whittingdale

The Government and the Gambling Commission share statutory duties to ensure that the National Lottery is run with all due propriety and that the interests of players are protected.

The competition for the fourth National Lottery licence is being run by the Gambling Commission. The next licence will see changes to how the National Lottery is licensed and regulated. It has been designed by the Commission to enable the next licensee continually to develop and adapt its operations in a safe and responsible way, to meet the needs of players in 2023 and beyond.

The licensee will be held fully accountable for protecting players. Through the competition process, the successful applicant will have demonstrated high standards of player protection, including on prevention of underage or excessive play, and the Commission will hold them accountable for their commitments during the licence period. The Commission will retain strong enforcement powers and, where necessary, will not hesitate to use them.