My Lords, I rise to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I am happy to say that this is a pure Consolidation Bill. It consolidates provisions relating to five Excise duties—the general betting duty, the pool betting duty, the bingo duty and duties on gaming licences and gaming machine licences.

The principal enactments now consolidated are the Betting Duties Act 1963 and the relevant provisions in the Finance Acts 1964 and 1966 to 1971, and the Gaming Act 1968. The Bill will have to go before the Joint Committee, who will examine it with their usual thoroughness. I therefore beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time.