asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to ensure that the Casino Advisory Panel makes its decision on the location of the first regional casino primarily on the basis of the best test of social impact and that the use of this test will be evident in its final report next year. [HL867]
The Government made it clear in the Casino Advisory Panel's terms of reference that the primary criterion by which it should make its recommendations to Ministers should be to ensure that locations for the one regional, eight large and eight small casinos provide the best possible test of social impact. The panel, which is operating independently of government, is on course to make its recommendations to Ministers on 30 January 2007.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they and the Casino Advisory Panel have undertaken on the impact and introduction of the first regional casino on existing leisure businesses in the local area; and what measures will be put in place to ensure that impact is minimised. [HL868]
The criteria against which the independent Casino Advisory Panel is making its assessment were set out in the Government's national policy statement on casinos published on 16 December 2004. The primary consideration will be to ensure that locations provide the best possible test of social impact. Subject to this primary consideration, the panel's additional criteria are:
to include areas in need of regeneration (as measured by employment and other social deprivation data) and which are likely to benefit in these terms from a new casino;
to ensure that those areas selected are willing to licence a new casino.
We will assess what the regeneration and other economic outcomes have been, alongside our wider assessment of the social impact of the new casino.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the impact of the regional casino on the local area will be regulated once it is open for business; and when a framework will be published for consultation. [HL869]
All casinos, including the single regional casino permitted by the Gambling Act 2005, will be required to abide by new rules designed to protect consumers, particularly children and other vulnerable people. These rules will be implemented through a combination of conditions attached to operating and premises licences, and through codes of practice issued by the Gambling Commission.
The Government and the Gambling Commission have been consulting extensively over the past year on proposed licence conditions and codes of practice.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that the claims of economic benefits from the local authorities bidding for the regional casino licence are properly scrutinised by the Casino Advisory Panel before it issues its report on 30 January 2007; and [HL870]
Whether the Casino Advisory Panel should be responsible for scrutinising the economic claims made by local authorities bidding for a regional casino; and whether the full details of its assessment of the evidence submitted should be published when its report is released on 30 January 2007. [HL871]
It is the role of the Casino Advisory Panel, which is operating independently of government, to subject all the proposals it has received from local authorities interested in licensing one of the new casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 to full scrutiny. In the case of the one regional casino licence, this has included holding a series of examinations in public into the shortlisted proposals.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that the successful local authority in the regional casino license competition is not placed in an unacceptable conflict of interest, bearing in mind it is both the relevant planning body and the licensing authority. [HL911]
Licensing authorities will be required to consider all applications for premises licences under the Gambling Act 2005, including the one regional casino premises licence permitted by the Act, on their merits, in accordance with the requirements of the Act. Similarly, planning authorities will be required to consider any planning application in accordance with planning legislation.
Section 210 of the Gambling Act 2005 requires that when considering applications for premises licences of any sort, a licensing authority shall not have regard to whether or not a proposal by the applicant is likely to be permitted in accordance with the law relating to planning or building. Furthermore, that section also provides that any decision under the Gambling Act 2005 shall not constrain any later decision by the authority under the law relating to planning or building.