Gambling: Legislation

Miss McIntosh
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received on the impact on local authorities of the Gambling Act 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Caborn
The Department has worked closely with local authorities and their representative bodies on the implementation of the Gambling Act. We have received many representations from local authorities in this context.

Miss McIntosh
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent estimate is of the cost to business of implementing the requirements of the Gambling Act 2005.

Mr. Caborn
The estimated costs to business were set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which was published in April 2005 with the Gambling Act 2005. In addition, we prepare impact assessments for each element of the secondary legislation required to implement the Gambling Act 2005 and these are published with the related Explanatory Memorandum  document on the Office for Public Sector Information website and separately in the Better Regulation section of the Department’s website www.culture.gov.uk.

Miss McIntosh
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward proposals for an extension to the deadline for compliance with the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure that businesses do not have to make physical changes to premises until after peak season 2007.

Mr. Caborn
It remains the Government’s intention to bring the Gambling Act 2005 fully into force on 1 September 2007.