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Casinos

Volume 448: debated on Wednesday 12 July 2006

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what meetings he has had with casino developers in each of the last five years; (84601)

(2) what meetings he has had with representatives of Kerzner International in the last five years.

I refer the hon. Member to the response given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 8 February 2006, Official Report, column 1243W.

I have had no meetings with Kerzner International. On Wednesday 17 August 2005, while on a well-publicised visit to the Greenwich peninsula, I was one of a number of guests who were updated on progress in the area. I believe one of those present at that time was a representative of Kerzner International, but at no time did I have any conversations about plans for a casino, and I was accompanied by officials at all times.