Clause 24 - Guidance to local authorities
Gambling Bill
5:40 pm
Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)
Local authorities will have a key role to play. They will have responsibility for licensing gambling premises in their areas, and will be accountable to their local communities. It is important, therefore, that they have some discretion when exercising their licensing function, but the amendment would prevent such discretion. One size does not always fit all. Making the gambling commission's guidance to local authorities mandatory would limit an authority's ability to do what is right for its locality.
It is important to bear it in mind that it may be difficult for local authorities to comply with guidance, which will inevitably be general in nature, to the letter. It is important that they should be able to take account of their local circumstances in applying the guidance. That is why the Bill enables general guidance from the gambling commission and individual policy statements from authorities. I know that local authorities will welcome the availability of the commission's guidance when developing their licensing policies. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw the amendment.