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Saturday, 13th March 2010

FLEETWOOD MP BACKS BLACKPOOL CASINO PLAN

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Published Date: 06 March 2007
FLEETWOOD'S MP Joan Humble is urging Parliament to ensure Blackpool is in with a chance of building a smaller casino.
Her comments followed Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell's decision to press ahead with an order naming Manchester as the site for the UK's first regional casino.
The order will also include the locations for eight small and eight large casinos.
Mrs Hu
mble, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, said other towns need not suffer.
She said: "I want to reassure my colleagues in towns chosen to host small and large casinos their investment should not be held up.
"I want to see the order for those towns go through as soon as possible.
"If the order is rejected either by the Commons or the Lords, then a new order should be drawn up as soon as possible making sure the small and large casinos can go ahead.
"At the same time we need to make sure we go back and look again at the decision to award the regional casino to Manchester.
"I am disappointed the order was not split into two, with one for the regional casino and one for the small and large casinos."
Areas recommended for large casinos were Great Yarmouth, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newham, Solihull and Southampton.
Small casinos were recommended for Bath and North East Somerset, Wigtown licensing area in Dumfries and Galloway, East Lindsey, Luton, Scarborough, Swansea, Torbay and Wolverhampton.
The Commons will debate the executive order prepared by Mrs Jowell in a special three-hour debate. A date is yet to be set but it is expected to be held before Easter.
Mrs Humble said: "I welcome the fact this debate will be three hours and not 90 minutes. It will allow everyone to put forward their case.
"I believe we have a strong argument. More than 100 MPs have signed the early day motions supporting Blackpool and I hope we have their support when it comes to a vote."
Mrs Jowell explained the reasoning behind the lengthened debate. She said: "The Order will now be debated and voted on by both Houses.
"Given the exceptional level of interest in the issues, and the importance of Parliament being able to properly consider the matter, the debate in the Commons will be an extended one and will take place on the floor of the House itself."
She continued to defend the decision to award just one licence for a regional casino.
Mrs Jowell said: "Many people in this country like to gamble and it is right that they are properly protected.
"This is not Las Vegas coming to Britain. The Gambling Act brings in tough new controls on gambling and puts an obligation for social responsibility at the heart of the operation of the new casinos.
"The key reason to limit the number of new casinos is to measure carefully their social impact as well as their regeneration potential."




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  • Last Updated: 06 March 2007 10:15 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Fleetwood
 
 
 


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