Speeches by Glen.

“In your answers to my colleague Bobby Dean, you suggested that, in essence, the qualitative and quantitative data demonstrates that the two-child policy has very little behavioural effect. We also discussed the challenge of short and long-term changes. There is evidence to suggest that, if you invest a lot in the short…”

“So essentially this is a prerequisite for progress and social mobility, because you will not get that far unless you remove the poverty in the short term. That is what you are saying.”

“My right hon. Friend is making a brilliant speech. On salience, does he acknowledge that stamp duty has had a particularly pronounced effect in the capital, particularly for those who come to this country to invest here and create jobs? One of the prime reasons we have seen such a significant number—perhaps 16,000 peop…”

“Surely the point is that if you ringfenced these very high margin, highly addictive online entities, where the vast majority of the social ills and individual problems are, you would expose the fact that they are extremely profitable, but you would avoid the cross-subsidy, and what you are basically saying is that ther…”

“That was a really helpful characterisation of the different issues with different types of gambling. Thank you, Mr Kenny. Mr Jung, I think it is fair to say that the case that you make is related to reducing child poverty. In your opening remarks, you made a case about the different levels of taxation, and how you repl…”

“You have helpfully set out what the industry is doing to deal with the very small number of people, which I acknowledge, who have a problem with intense addiction to online gambling. What we are trying to get at, and why this issue has become pertinent in the run-up to a Budget, is that people, and the Government, are …”

“Absolutely. When I go to the horses in Salisbury and put on a 10 quid bet, I am very different from a 19-year-old young man who is online with a problem and in enormous debt. I accept that there is a difference, but surely the industry has to come to terms with the fact that the Government and Members of Parliament do …”

“But surely that basic point is true: going and putting a £10 bet on the Grand National is very different from an 18 or 19-year-old man sitting in their bedroom, addicted to problem online gambling. Surely that distinction is one you have to make.”

“You wouldn’t accept that highly addictive online gambling is not the same as going and putting 10 quid on the Grand National?”

“Okay. Can we turn to the effect of tax? We have discussed how the odds would change, and how the rational economic behaviour of a betting person would be to go somewhere where they get better odds. Can you say more about the evidence from other jurisdictions where taxes have increased? Obviously, the behavioural effect…”

“But you and your members don’t block them.”

“I am aware of the mechanisms to evaluate behaviours, but what do you actually do to stop people getting into problems? We all know the data on the very small number of people who have problems, but those problems are pretty intense and transformational to their life outcomes. What is the industry doing to stop people w…”

“Can I return to the problem of the segmentation of betting? We have all expressed some enthusiasm for the occasional flutter on the horses and various other activities that are occasional and benign in terms of social and individual impact. I found the evidence from Mr Kenny quite compelling in respect of the terminals…”

“We went through that one last year.”

“So what you are saying is that you could raise extra money from this measure and deal with the two-child policy, but you could not actually fix the situation for the people who are problem gamblers.”

“Given Mr Kenny’s evidence about the addictiveness for people under the age of 26, and the development of the brain, is it certain that the increased tax would change behaviour?”

“I welcome the Paymaster General’s remarks on the acceleration of the delivery of payments in relation to infected blood. It is very welcome for one of my constituents who has had it. I also welcome his response to the additional report by Sir Brian Langstaff in July. Given that, can he update the House on the lifetime …”

“I think what we are trying to say is that we all agree that systemic stability is an enduring imperative, but sometimes being competitive in a global market requires saying, “We will not compromise that systemic stability if we remove some of these superfluous reporting things.” The sense I get from talking to people i…”

“Lead to action.”

“Good.”