As a Government, our aim is to work across portfolios to identify the actions that we can take to reduce the prevalence of problem gambling and limit the impact it has on the people of Wales. As we know, the regulation and licensing for gambling is not devolved at present, but the Wales Act next year will provide Welsh Ministers and the Assembly with new powers in relation to fixed-odds betting terminals. The new powers, though, will only apply to new licences issued under the Gambling Act 2005, and they will only relate to game machines that allow stakes of £10 or more for a single game. The restriction is in itself disappointing. They will not apply to betting premises licences in respect of a track. So, that doesn't cover horse or dog racetracks, or any other place at which a race or other sporting event takes place. 

Fixed-odds betting has of course been a focus of much media attention in recent months. I was pleased to hear Jayne Bryant reference Carolyn Harris and her work in Parliament. The UK Government has now just launched a consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures, with calls for greater regulation, including for fixed-odds betting stakes to be reduced to £2. That consultation closes on 23 January next year. In the meantime, we're looking at options for how we can use our new powers in the future to reduce any identified harms from this type of gambling, whilst we await with interest the final outcomes of the UK Government consultation.

I would make clear that it is the view of this Government that we should have our powers regularised. If anything is going to change the gambling architecture and the powers available, those powers should be transferred to Wales as well, rather than having an artificial divide in measures that this Government could take and other measures where the UK Government must act, or no action will take place at all in Wales. That would be a highly undesirable outcome to the consultation. I hope there will be action from the UK Government, because this is not a party political issue.

The Welsh Government recognises the need to act now to address the determinants of gambling-related harm, with the powers that are devolved to us. In Wales, we have a number of interventions and policies in place. These include the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, who has already commissioned a review to look at changes of land use permitted without the need for a planning application. She will consult on proposed changes in the new year. That review will also consider, as part of it, whether changes are needed to prevent the over concentration of betting shops, considering both health issues and the need to sustain the vibrancy, viability and attractiveness of established retail and commercial centres. This goes neatly back to the point that Jane Hutt made, when you think about some of our centres where there is already a concentration of this activity and you understand the form of impact that that has on that community, and not simply as a form of tourist activity.

Public Health Wales has commissioned research to map out all of the gambling venues across Wales. That should help them dovetail with the work commissioned by the Cabinet Secretary for planning. Public Health Wales's work should include a visual heat map showing the density of gambling venues geographically, which will highlight areas where gambling venues are concentrated. That will certainly aid our discussion on this issue and any steps we might then choose to take. 

We know there's no specific medical intervention for gambling, but in some cases psychological interventions can help to motivate individuals to change their behaviour. In 'Together for Mental Health' we've agreed a plan with the NHS to expand psychological therapy services for both adults and children, and we've provided an additional £4 million a year to help deliver the plan. Although patients can discuss anything with their GPs, for those affected by pathological or problematic gambling addiction, there are also other services outside the health service, like Gamblers Anonymous or GamCare, who can provide information and support.

It's worth noting that, in terms of the range of gaming opportunities that exist, many of them have in-app purchases, and there are a range of challenges that are not dissimilar to some of the problems that we recognise in gambling. Of course, there are many, many gambling games available on mobile devices.

Other organisations across Wales provide information and advice, such as citizens advice bureaux. For example, the Newport CAB is undertaking some work to support gambling-related harm, funded by GambleAware. They are delivering a gambling harm minimisation project in Wales. That aims to tackle gambling-related harm at its root through education and awareness with young people and other vulnerable groups. 

I do want to recognise the point that Mick Antoniw made about our ongoing conversation with the industry and the reality of needing to be socially responsible as far as possible, and that is an unfinished conversation. I suspect that, as we move closer to having some powers in this area, we are more likely to have a more productive conversation with the industry. 

I'm sure that people in this room will be aware that the chief medical officer is leading work on the harms caused by gambling as part of the development of his annual report, and I look forward to seeing his initial recommendations in the new year. I reiterate at this point the offer that has previously been made in answering a previous question, both to Jayne Bryant as the mover of this debate, but also to Jane Hutt and Mick Antoniw as backbenchers who helped to jointly commission this report, to meet with officials who are considering the Welsh Government's response in the new year. Having commissioned the report and taken an obvious interest, I think there'll be a useful discussion to be had with the three of them, and I'll be happy, if Members want to take up the opportunity, to arrange for that to take place. 

It is clear from the contributions today that there is agreement that we need to work and not simply to wait for the problem to escalate, and that work must take place across portfolios within Government, but also with partners outside Government. This is not an issue that one sector can tackle successfully alone. But there is an opportunity to take a leadership role in helping to reduce the number of people who experience problem gambling and those others who are affected by it. A multipartner approach has the potential to reduce the prevalence of problem gambling and the impact it has on the health of the people of Wales and the wider societal impact.

As part of that work, I reiterate again that I'd urge the UK Government to do more to tackle concerns around gambling advertising, to improve consumer protection and to maximise the various options available to address the issue of problem gambling and to protect people from gambling-related harm, including the powers that we could and should have available here in Wales; and I reiterate my commitment to working in partnership with Members in this Chamber and outside to do all that we could and should do here in Wales.