Elaine Murray: ...to the appropriate number of venues but which is not in the bill. Various members of local authorities have told me that they feel powerless to prevent the proliferation of betting shops and gambling establishments in some communities. That is not part of the bill, but I hope that, at some stage, we will give some consideration to whether local authorities need to have more powers to set...
Elaine Murray: ...than half of Scotland’s health boards can offer any access to specialist addiction psychology services. Given the problems that we have in Scotland with addiction, whether it be alcohol, smoking, gambling, eating disorders or drug abuse, I find that situation very worrying and hope that it does not indicate that a too low priority is being accorded to mental health services. An estimated...
Elaine Murray: ...state that the Mental Health Tribunal should be in a chamber of its own. Any change to that arrangement would therefore have to be made by Parliament, a stance that met with the agreement of Alan Gamble, who has been a convener of the Mental Health Tribunal. I wonder—I have only just thought about this—whether there could be some form of compromise that would allow a change in status...
Elaine Murray: ...Scanlon quoted, I was one of many who opposed the national lottery when it was introduced in 1993. A Calvinist streak in me remains slightly uncomfortable with the idea of Governments promoting gambling to provide services. Some of the most high-profile recipients of lottery funding have not helped the lottery's image. I acknowledge the concerns of several members that the principle of...