Downing Street Says » Super Casinos

Put to the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) that Whitehall sources had briefed that Ministers had been putting back decisions regarding small and large casinos, the PMS said that he did not know what Whitehall sources briefings were or meant. The issue that was raised by the Prime Minister today was in relation to super casinos.

Asked what the position was in relation to the other casinos, the PMS said that the position was unchanged.

Put that it was now at stalemate, the PMS replied that the stalemate was in relation to the super casinos.

Asked if the Prime Minister would prefer it if an alternative was found to super casinos, the PMS replied that his objective was regeneration, and there had been a debate in Parliament about it. There was clearly not a consensus, and there was a gambling prevalence study which was due to report in September that needed to be looked at. If there were alternative ways of meeting our regeneration objectives, then they should be considered.

Asked if the Prime Minister did not like super casinos, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had made his views known on super casinos.

Asked why the announcement was made today, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister was asked a question about it in the House of Commons, and therefore, it was the first opportunity he would have had to make his position clear on this since he became Prime Minister.

Asked what the Prime Minister thought about large and small casinos, the PMS said that in terms of the issues and concerns that he was raising today, they were about super casinos.

Asked what the Prime Minister saw as the fundamental difference between super casinos, and did that mean people gambled more, the PMS replied that turnover was around ten times higher compared to other casinos.

Asked what the Prime Minister’s position was on gambling, the PMS replied that it was legal to gamble. There would continue to be casinos, but there were particular concerns raised about super casinos, and those were what the Prime Minister was responding to today.

Asked if the Prime Minister was content that his position had been made clear, the PMS said that he had made his position clear. There would need to be a period of reflection, and we would need to consider whether or not there was an alternative approach to deliver our re-generation objectives.

Put that one of the other effects of the Gambling Act was to get rid of the 24-hour cooling off period, and was the Prime Minister happy to see that go, the PMS said that that was something to be considered. However, that was not what he was referring to today.

Asked if the Prime Minister did not think that super casinos re-generated run down cities, the PMS replied that there was no consensus around super casinos and the Prime Minister’s over-riding objective here was re-generation. If, in the light of the absence of a consensus around super casinos and the findings of the gambling prevalence report, an alternative way could be found of achieving his re-generation objectives, then that was something that should be looked at.

Put that some of the Manchester MPs were seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister, and also, was this decision decided by the Cabinet, the PMS replied that there had been discussions with relevant Cabinet Ministers about the position on gambling.

Put that the Prime Minister was part of the Cabinet that signed up to the super casinos idea, so clearly, he had changed his mind on this, and when did he do so and why, the PMS replied that he was a firm believer in Cabinet Government. Since those decisions were taken, it had become clear that there was not a consensus in Parliament and concerns had been raised. This was a listening Government, and we were waiting for the outcome of the gambling prevalence report in the autumn, which would need to be taken into account as well.

Asked if the Prime Minister had spoken to the chief executive of the Manchester City Council, the PMS replied that he was not aware if the Prime Minister had.

Asked if this was something that might be influenced by what local people thought and wanted, the PMS replied that as he had said, there would be a period of reflection and people would want to consider in overall terms, what the best way of achieving re-generation objectives in these areas was.

Asked if the Prime Minister had abstained in the last vote, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had voted in favour during the last vote. It was a whipped vote, and subsequent to that, the various issues raised regarding the failure to reach consensus in Parliament meant the situation had moved on.

Put that the Prime Minister had abstained in the original 2005 Act and had repeatedly abstained afterwards, the PMS replied that there were issues relating to super casinos that had been raised by people. The Prime Minister was aware of those and would take those into account in the period ahead as we had this period of reflection.

Asked if super casinos were dead, the PMS replied that there would be a period of reflection.

Asked if it was still the case that there might be another Bill for the smaller casinos being brought forward, the PMS said that what was discussed today was in relation to super casinos, but we were not suggesting a change in process in relation to the other matters.

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» Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Super Casinos

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