| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Lord Beaverbrook asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, by restricting the game of Pronto! to players aged 18 or over and by situating terminals in licensed premises, the ability of under-age players to participate is severely restricted.[HL 1029]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The statutory minimum age for playing lotteries, including on-line games and scratchcards, is 16. This is also the minimum age for playing the National Lottery. Apart from access to the £10 all-cash amusement--with prizes machines in amusement arcades, there is no minimum age limit for gaming machines in places open to the public. However, prizes are limited to a maximum of £10. Under the law, any person over the age of 14 may enter the bar of a public house. Recent research published by Oflot suggested 8 per cent. of under 16s played fruit machines in pubs.
The promoters of Pronto!, an on-line lottery, have chosen to set their own age limit at 18 and to site their terminals mainly in licensed premises. This has no effect on the statutory position, and the promoters could at any time choose to relax their self-imposed constraint. In consulting on the draft Lotteries (Frequent Draws) Bill, the Government's main concern has been the risk to players of any age from rapid, repetitive games in premises not licensed for gambling.
Travel Document Fees
Lord Randall of St. Budeaux asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have for travel document fees.[HL1261]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: In line with the increase in the fee for a British Passport which we announced on 13 February, the fee for a Refugee Passport and for a Stateless Person Document will be increased from £18 to £21 today. The cost of a Refugee Passport and of a Stateless Persons Document is directly linked to the cost of a British Passport. A fee of £21 still represents very good value for money.
| Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |