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Sports Betting

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that point. Let me say from the start that the actions of the bookmakers were totally unacceptable. We need to find out what happened—we need to hear their responses. The letter that went out demanded action and a response within 28 days. I agree with him that just sending out a letter may have looked a bit complacent, but the reality is that action and a response were demanded within 28 days. That level of problem—98 out of 100—is totally unacceptable. I said earlier that the betting industry does all that it can, but it must do more. We cannot have vulnerable people and people under 18 put into such a difficult position. In setting out and clarifying the regulatory position on integrity, the Gambling Commission is moving in the right direction. We need to give confidence to the public and ensure that the regulations are given a high profile. People felt that the cases in the horse-racing industry were not followed through or collapsed because of insufficient evidence or other problems, so it is important that the Gambling Commission recently published its policy position paper on betting integrity, which outlines the work that it has done and the direction that it wants to take. As ever, time will overtake me. I am happy for hon. Members on both sides of the House to suggest people who should be on the expert panel that I want to set up. It will include eight to 10 people who will be taken from betting, sport and the police. I had a meeting with UEFA the other day, which is keen on the panel because it spends a great deal of money on integrity issues in football throughout Europe. The expert panel will give advice and support to the Gambling Commission on processes, procedures and what needs to be looked at. It is right and proper that experts in the field offer such support to the Gambling Commission. The hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) was right to raise the 47 cases. More than half of them did not involve serious issues, but the Gambling Commission was right to ensure that they were investigated. The remaining cases that are under consideration, in some cases by sports' governing bodies, include a number of active cases in which the commission will be further involved. It is difficult to work out the full extent of the underlying problem, particularly as the Commission can work only with gambling operators who are licensed in the UK.