Health Inequalities

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services — Postponed from 8 November – in the Senedd at 2:50 pm on 15 November 2017.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:50, 15 November 2017

Thank you for the follow-up question. I recognise the report that was launched this morning and I know that colleagues on the Labour backbenches, including Jayne Bryant, Jane Hutt and Mick Antoniw, were involved in funding that piece of research, which was actually a useful picture for us on the current picture here within Wales, [Inaudible.] broader, UK-wide picture. To be fair to my colleague the Member for Pontypridd, he's been interested in this area before coming into Government, during his time in Government and now as well, and there's a recognition that there's a real public health challenge here as well as the financial challenges that we face, and we should not expect the gambling—. We should not simply leave it to the gambling industry, I think, to behave responsibly, because not everybody does. There's concern not just about fixed-odds betting, but actually the ease with which gambling takes place, including online, where it's much more difficult to regulate behaviour.

There's also a challenge for us about the split in powers between ourselves and the UK Government. We continue to urge the UK Government to take a more realistic approach to this issue, to recognise damage being done within our communities and, in particular, that that damage is most strongly felt within our most deprived communities. So, we'll continue to do what we can do within this Government, bearing in mind the limitations on the powers that we have, but recognising the health impact and other impacts too. I have indicated to your colleague Jayne Bryant that I'd be happy for the backbench Members who sponsored that report to meet with relevant policy officials to have an understanding of the work that is already being done as we continue to address this problem issue that will not go away quickly.