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Gambling Commission
Lord Donoughue asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their plans for the transition from the Gaming Board to the proposed gaming commission; and how they propose fully to use the accumulated skills and knowledge of the Gaming Board.[HL3957]
Baroness Blackstone: Following publication of A safe bet for success (Cm 5397), the Government are pursuing discussions with the Gaming Board and other interested bodies to develop operational plans for the establishment of a new gambling commission. We have made clear our wish to ensure that the transition from one regulator to another is seamless, and that the new body can build effectively on the board's knowledge and skills. To this end we shall be assessing a number of transition options, including asking the board to act as a shadow commission in due course.
Lord Donoughue asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Who will fund the proposed new gaming commission during its start-up period before it generates its own funding.[HL3958]
Baroness Blackstone: Final decisions have not yet been taken on how best the necessary start-up costs of the proposed gambling commission should be met.
Prime Minister: Holiday in Egypt
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether statements by his spokesman that the Prime Minister had paid for his own Christmas holiday and that of his extended family in Egypt are accurate.[HL3795]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The position is as the Prime Minister made clear in the Register of Members' Interests.
Ulster Scots Language
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their interpretation of the concepts enunciated in the Belfast Agreement of 1998 which offered total equality and parity of esteem, as far as it concerns Ulster Scots Language, culture and history.[HL3970]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Belfast Agreement affirmed the parties' recognition of "the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, including in Northern Ireland, the Irish language, Ulster-Scots and the languages of the various ethnic communities, all of which are part of the cultural wealth of the island of Ireland".
Policy responsibility for the issues referred to by the noble Lord rests with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure within the Northern Ireland Executive.
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