Casinos
Culture Media and Sport
Written answers and statements, 28 February 2007
Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the evidential basis was for the Casino Advisory Panel's assessment of the effect of regional casinos on urban areas.
Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)
We are committed to making a full assessment of the social and economic impact of the one regional, eight large and eight small casinos permitted by the Act no earlier than three years after the award of the first premises licence. The Casino Advisory Panel did not make any assessment of the effect of regional casinos on urban areas as this was not part of its remit. The panel was asked to identify areas which would facilitate the best possible test of the social impact of the new casinos.