Mr Nick Hawkins: As a somewhat younger retiring Member than the distinguished Father of the House, may I, on a suitably non-partisan note, echo what the Secretary of State just said? May I also to ask her to join me in commending the bravery of those who work for British companies, and indeed for companies throughout the western world, who are prepared, at great personal risk, to go to take part in the...
Mr Nick Hawkins: The Minister knows that I will always be happy to welcome more money for sport anywhere in the country. I recognise, as the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) did, that there are good areas where the approach in the sports action zones has been bottom up. However, does the Minister recognise that, in some parts of the country, there are still complaints that the money is not getting to...
Mr Nick Hawkins: The Minister is explaining the history of the matter, but does he recognise that concern has been expressed even by some of his noble Friends, such as Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws—distinguished lawyers with experience of inquiries—that in the Bill the Government are writing themselves too big a blank cheque to change the terms of reference? The danger is that in the Bill the Government...
Mr Nick Hawkins: rose—
Mr Nick Hawkins: My hon. Friend is making an extremely important point. As he and the Minister are aware, I used to work as a corporate lawyer before I came to the House in 1992, and I spent part of my career in the consumer credit industry. Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the success stories of Britain in the latter part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century has been the creation of...
Mr Nick Hawkins: Does my hon. Friend agree that all our constituents are concerned about not simply the cases that come to formal prosecution, but the fact that, whenever a burglary takes place and a householder tries to defend their person, property and family, the police may start to interview them after the incident and suggest that they might be in the wrong, when all they were doing was defending their...
Mr Nick Hawkins: Although the Minister's words were helpful, he is somewhat friendless on the Government Benches because all three Labour Back Benchers who have spoken were critical of the reserve power. If I may add to the speeches and interventions that have been made, independent research by the Henley Centre concluded that up to a third of family entertainment centres throughout the country could well...
Mr Nick Hawkins: I agree with my hon. Friend. As he knows, in my first five years in the House, I represented Blackpool, where exactly the same concerns exist. It is not surprising that Labour Back Benchers are responding to those concerns. As my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend, East (Sir Teddy Taylor) pointed out, it is simply not possible to run one of these small businesses—most are...
Mr Nick Hawkins: Does my hon. Friend recall that when he and I considered the Bill in Committee, the Minister himself said: "We do not plan to use the power now or in the foreseeable future"? [Official Report, Standing Committee B, 30 November 2004; c. 267.] In the light of what my hon. Friend and the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Geraldine Smith) have said, what on earth is the reason for the...
Mr Nick Hawkins: I know that the hon. Gentleman holds his views on the matter extremely sincerely. Will he accept that the Atlantic City survey to which he refers is extremely contentious? Those of us who compare the terrible state that Atlantic City was in during the 1970s—it was a run-down place of the past—with how it is after the huge amounts of regeneration that have resulted from the creation of...
Mr Nick Hawkins: I will be brief, for the reasons already given by my hon. Friends the Members for Maldon and East Chelmsford (Mr. Whittingdale) and for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Page) and by the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster). I entirely agree that the whole passage of the Bill has been a mess. I want to make a specific point on the programme motion. If the Government had had the sense to listen in...
Mr Nick Hawkins: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Throughout the lengthy period in which the Gambling Bill was in Committee, the Government constantly made announcements and changed their policy. Only a few minutes ago, the Doorkeepers were trying to distribute a series of letters from the Government about further clarifications or changes of view to members of the Standing Committee, on which I served. It...
Mr Nick Hawkins: I am more comforted by the Minister's reassurance on new clause 4 than his reassurance on new clause 5. As he has said that there will be at least some kind of opportunity for British sites to point out that they are approved by the Gambling Commission, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion. Motion and clause, by leave, withdrawn.
Mr Nick Hawkins: I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
Mr Nick Hawkins: New clause 4 is an attempt to include in the Bill something that clarifies the need for the gambling commission to liaise with Ofcom on all the issues relating to the internet and other communications media that Ofcom has a remit over to ensure that there is no regulatory gap between the gambling commission that the Bill creates and Ofcom. There has been a lot of concern that there might be...
Mr Nick Hawkins: The hon. Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood and I have campaigned over a long period to enable the regeneration benefits to come to Blackpool and, indeed, other run-down resorts. I share the scepticism of her hon. Friend the Member for North Durham, who spoke so ably earlier on in this debate. I fear that if the regional panel decides, for example, that the Manchester City football...
Mr Nick Hawkins: I hope for Blackpool's sake that it ends up with at least one of the new regional casinos and some of the regeneration benefits, but I have considerable doubts about that, and about the hon. Lady's wisdom in supporting so strongly her Minister, when others who were originally so supportive of the proposals, such as the hon. Member for North Durham, have turned against them. The Government...
Mr Nick Hawkins: As the Minister knows, I have always been one of the most free-market people, although not as free market as the hon. Member for West Ham (Mr. Banks), who is safely ensconced in the States for this debate. After what he said about the Government's original U-turn, one can only imagine what he would say today, but I suspect that the savage criticisms made by the hon. Member for North Durham...
Mr Nick Hawkins: Who knows? The hon. Gentleman may be right. I hope that the hon. Member for West Ham will continue to be able to dignify Parliament in some capacity in the future. I think that we would all welcome the continued opportunity for him to exercise his wit.
Mr Nick Hawkins: The hon. Gentleman is right. I remember that. On the basis that those pertinent questions were asked and not answered, it is rather a shame that the hon. Member for West Ham is not with us to follow them up. A full-blown speech from him on the proposals would have been a sight to behold. In addition to following up and agreeing with everything that the hon. Member for North Durham said, from...
