Jowell offers concession on casinos

12 April 2012

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has offered a concession to critics of the Government's casino plans in an attempt to head off a backbench rebellion.

Ms Jowell announced that she was accepting an amendment by Labour peer Baroness Golding to create a joint committee of both Houses to consider the Casino Advisory Panel's report on the casino plans.

She said this would enable peers and MPs to consider "what lessons can be learnt" from the decision making process.

But the concession will not delay the current licensing plans or stop the 17 councils affected from starting the licensing competition process.

She was seeking to salvage the Government's plans for a super-casino in Manchester and 16 smaller venues around the country in the face of a possible defeat by MPs and peers when they vote later today.

If the amendment to set up a joint committee - tabled by Labour peer Baroness Golding is approved - the order will pass and the plans for all 17 casinos will go ahead as intended.

But Ms Jowell emphasised: "In addition to giving Members of both Houses an opportunity retrospectively to examine the panel process ... let me state now that the Government would like the remit of any joint committee to be forward-looking, not just retrospective."

The committee would look at the decision-making process to date and also consider possible future options.

Urging MPs not to throw out the plans, Mr Jowell warned: "The House must decide whether it wants to accept and support the consequences of a policy it voted for in 2005 - that the Opposition accepted, even welcomed."

And she added: "I should also remind the House of the many thousands of new jobs, and millions of pounds of investment that may be put at risk across the country if this order is not approved."

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