6. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the potential harm of gambling to individuals, families and communities. (S6O-03051)

People with a gambling addiction in Scotland can get support, as appropriate, through a range of services, including those signposted on NHS Inform, primary care services, mental health services and secondary care. We have established a gambling-related harms working group with Public Health Scotland to consider what needs to be prioritised for gambling harms research, prevention and treatment.

The United Kingdom Government white paper, “High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age”, includes proposals on a levy to fund research, prevention and treatment. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland benefits from those proposals.

Covid has exacerbated the harms from gambling, with more women now reporting that they have a gambling problem. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has published the “Gambling Harms Action Plan” to try to alleviate the blight on lives that problem gambling creates. Will the Government consider creating a similar gambling harms action plan to help to protect the people of Scotland?

I will reflect strongly on Kevin Stewart’s points about the increase in the number of women gambling. Our gambling harms working group will be considering our local authorities’ action plans, as well as the approaches that are taken in places such as Manchester.

I recently met representatives of Glasgow City Council, which hosted a gambling harms summit in 2021 to share knowledge, insights and ideas on tackling gambling harms. From that, it has produced an action plan that takes a whole-system approach to tackling gambling harms.

As I said, we will continue to work with the UK Government on measures in its white paper on gambling reform.