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Gambling Act (On-course Bookmakers)

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, with which I totally agree—to some extent he has read my thoughts. If I may, I will continue to read from the letter:"““The levy board has now been reprieved but is reluctant to continue with it’s ‘certificate of approval’ role, and, as a consequence, there is a need for the tenure issue to be placed in alternative hands.""I am 49 years of age and have worked all my adult life as a racecourse bookmaker, acquiring my first bookmakers permit in 1979. Many of ‘my’ pitches were ‘earned’ under the previous system, (i.e. prior to the NJPC taking over the administration of racecourse bookmakers and their positions). To attain an allocated pitch in those days the bookmaker (in person) had to attend at least 75 per cent. of the scheduled fixtures for that racecourse. As I’m sure you can imagine trading on some of these days in the poorest position within the ring was almost unworkable, but to attain a permanent position the attendance requirement had to be fulfilled, thus I consider I well and truly earned my right to trade at each individual racecourse.""In 1998 the National Joint Pitch Council (NJPC) became the racecourse bookmaking industry administrative body, and along with many afore-mentioned changes within the ring, introduced the buying and selling of bookmakers positions. This allowed ‘new blood’ to become racecourse bookmakers and also allowed incumbent bookmakers like myself to improve their position within the ring by trading up. This I have done at several racecourses, investing well over £65,000 on positions at different racecourses, giving me a total valuation of my pitch portfolio of around £140,000, this prior to the RCA decision outlined earlier. Not only has this decision robbed me of any financial return/retirement package but it has knocked at least 30/40 per cent. off of the current pitch values because the purchaser knows he has only a 4 and a half year tenure to attain a return on his investment. As such, people who invested in pitches are left ‘high and dry’ because no-one wants to buy racecourse positions now (even at vastly reduced prices) and will have no asset to sell in 2012.""I am not a university educated man but this decision by the RCA cannot be a fair and equitable one. Your government introduced the social charter and extended rights for the individual and as such ought to view this outrageous decision by the RCA totally unjust.""As stated above, when pitch reform was introduced we were given assurances that this would give career bookmakers certainty and security and provide them with assets to finance retirement. It would now appear that these assurances have been swept away by something that would not appear to have been intended by Parliament, which would appear to be a case of ‘the law of unintended consequences’.””" I think that that epitomises the current problem. They are the words of an actual bookmaker. I should like to stress the difference between an on-course and an off-course bookmaker. The point has been made already that many on-course bookmakers are small, family businesses; often they are not the rails bookmakers that can be found at race courses—the ““big four””, as they are called, or the other big on-course bookmakers. Many of them are very small, family businesses, and they all have a certain amount of character to them and add to the atmosphere on the race course. I remember an on-course bookmaker from Great Houghton, which is a village next to mine, near Barnsley, in my constituency. He was known as ““Smiler”” Pearson, and he was a typical on-course bookmaker; he had a flat cap, as could be imagined, given that he came from Barnsley. His lips were usually white from the chalk dust. I am going back to the days when bookmakers had to chalk up the odds, to the days before marker pens, so his lips were always white. He earned the nickname, ““Smiler””, because, as could be imagined, he never smiled, like a lot of bookmakers. As they rob people and take their money, they never smile, even though they have just taken someone’s last shekel. Those sorts of characters are endangered by the current situation. It goes without saying that we need to reach a consensus, which is why it is very important that discussions continue between the on-course bookmakers association and the RCA. Indeed, the Northern Bookmakers Association, which has been in touch with me and is based in Ilkley in west Yorkshire—of course—is looking, as a compromise, for the reintroduction of the certificate of approval, either by the levy board, as it used to be, or by the new Gambling Commission. I should like to hear the Minister’s thoughts on that when he sums up. I realise that this is an extremely difficult issue to resolve, and in many respects, I can understand the position of the RCA, which wants to maximise its product. We have 59 race courses in this country. Long may that continue! I think that the rest of the world admires the diversity of our race courses. We must ensure that every one of those 59 race courses continues to exist, rather than allow the closures that have occurred, certainly since the second world war, to continue. I understand that the RCA wants to maximise its profits. Betting on race courses is under threat from wider sports betting across the industry. The race courses feel threatened by the current environment. I can understand that. Both I and the joint chairman of the all-party group on racing and bloodstock, the hon. Member for Ryedale (Mr. Greenway), were present last night at the centenary celebrations of the RCA. Obviously, it is 100 years old, and we hope that it will keep together and continue to do the good job that it does in representing race courses. One thing springs to mind that I would like the Minister to consider, in the spirit of compromise. The legislation is new, but is there any possibility that the transition period could be reconsidered and changed to seven years and therefore extended not to 1 September 2012, but to 1 September 2014? That would require regulation and have to come back before the House, which could be a stumbling block, but in the spirit of compromise, I should like him to outline to us his thoughts on that point. I have spoken for quite long enough now, Mr. Conway. I think that Members on both sides of the House will make the same points that have been made already. My main point is that on-course bookmakers add to the atmosphere of race courses, and I want there to be as many of them as possible on every race course in this country, because they add to the flavour of a day at the races.