The suggestion that there could be a six-month delay in implementation of a reduction in the £100 stake of these machines which have been related to tragic reports of suicides, should be a matter of deep concern to those who seek to protect the vulnerable (Anger over delay on betting terminal cap, 26 October).
As the government confirmed on 17 May, that action should be taken to reduce the £100 stake of these machines – any delay to reduce the stake would be inconsistent with the duty of government, the regulator and society to protect the vulnerable. We look to the Gambling Commission, which has a statutory duty to pursue licensing objectives including protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling, to advise the secretary of state that any delay is unacceptable as it will put the vulnerable at further risk.
Since the government first began consulting on this issue, over £3.5bn has been lost, often by the most vulnerable in our society, and lives are at risk. We have written to the chancellor of the exchequer, the secretary of state and the prime minister urging that the government confirm that the stake will be reduced at the earliest possible time.
Rt Rev Alan Smith Bishop of St Albans, Tim Clement-Jones, Don Foster, Kathleen Richardson, Indarjit Singh (all members of the House of Lords)
• Well done, Tracey Crouch (Minister resigns over delay to betting machine curbs, 2 November). The facts on fixed-odds betting terminals have not changed, so why change your mind – and the same should be said to David Cameron, who we are told is considering a return to high office (‘You caused enough damage’: MPs react to David Cameron’s rumoured return, 2 November). He decided the day after the referendum that his foul-up was big enough to drive him from office – and nothing has changed over the past two and a half years; well, that’s not entirely true – things have got a lot worse.
Les Bright
Exeter, Devon
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