To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing Pool Betting Duty to 10 per cent on the industry and economy of the north of England.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing Pool Betting Duty to 10 per cent.

No recent estimate has been made. The Government recognises the popularity of the Football Pools. But reducing Pool Betting Duty is likely to have a negligible effect and could put revenue at risk, particularly through incentivising switching of products from fixed odds bets to pooled bets. HM Treasury however keeps all taxes under active review.