Inquiry into public health approaches to tackling gambling-related harm: 1st oral evidence session
Date: Monday 13 February 2023
Time: 12:00pm
Location: Committee Room 30, Parliament Buildings
Chairperson: Robbie Butler MLA
Minutes taken by: Connor Hogan, Chambré
Members Present
· Robbie Butler MLA
· Philip McGuigan MLA
· Danny Donnelly MLA
· Stephen Dunne MLA
· Maolíosa McHugh MLA
· Harry Harvey MLA
· Mark H Durkan MLA
· David Honeyford MLA
Apologies
· Paul Frew MLA
· Cathy Mason MLA
· Áine Murphy MLA
Secretariat
· Will Chambré – Chambré
· James Mayne - Chambré
· Connor Hogan – Chambré
External Guests
· Alexander Kallman – Tackling Gambling Stigma
· Andrew Dougal – Public Health Agency
· Anna Ingram - Council for Catholic Maintained Schools
· Barry Grant – Extern Problem Gambling
· Ciarán Mee – Department for Communities
· Debbie Sharpe - CCEA
· Diane Owens – Department of Health
· Helen McAvoy – Institute of Public Health
· James Grimes – The Big Step
· Joanna Purdy – Institute of Public Health
· Johnny Stewart – Open Strategic Communications
· Karan Chhabra – BACP
· Lynne Hackworth - Department of Education
· Martin Jones
· Martina Campbell – Department for Communities
· Maurice Meehan – Public Health Agency
· Mhairi Kernaghan – Department for Communities
· Neil Webb – Salvation Army
· Nick Harvey – Gambling with Lives
· Nina Wright – Salvation Army
· Oscar Donnelly - Toward Zero Suicide Patient Safety Collaborative; Northern HSCT
· Peter Keogh – Gambling with Lives
· Richard Keogh
· Sadie Keogh – Gambling with Lives
· Scott Taylor - Department of Health
· Sharon McElroy – Western HSCT
· Simon Wright – Salvation Army
· Steve Watts - Gamfam
· Thomas McKeever – Royal College of Psychiatrists
Minutes
1. Welcome
Robbie Butler MLA welcomed members to the meeting.
2. Minutes of last meeting
Members agreed that the minutes of the last meeting (5 December) were a true and accurate representation of that meeting. Proposed by Maolíosa McHugh MLA, seconded by Stephen Dunne MLA.
4. Matters arising
None.
5. Introductory remarks
The Chairperson opened by updating members on the APG’s inquiry into public health approaches to gambling-related harms; noting the call for written evidence had closed on 3 February with the secretariat having received 41 responses from 37 of organisations and 4 individuals.
6. Inquiry into public health approaches to gambling-related harms in NI: 1st oral evidence session - Understanding public health approaches to gambling
Dr Joanna Purdy, Public Health Development Officer at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) and Dr Helen McAvoy, Director of Policy at the IPH presented to members; emphasising the importance of a population level public health approach that protects the health and wellbeing of the entire population, including children and young people.
Matt Zarb-Cousins, Co-Founder and Director of External Affairs at Gamban, and Director of Clean Up Gambling then presented to members. He told the group that though the overall participation of gambling has remained relatively constant, public losses have increased. He added that younger age groups tend to engage in higher risk and more frequent gambling. This is compounded by the prevalence of online gambling, and easy access via smartphones.
The witnesses then took questions from members.
The Chair thanked the speakers for their presentations, and members for their questions.
7. Future oral evidence sessions
The secretariat gave a short update on the proposed schedule for oral evidence sessions.
Agreed: The majority of sessions will be held online. In-person sessions will be scheduled on average every 2-3 months.
Agreed: The secretariat to identify young people with experience of gaming and associated gambling related harms and invite them to give evidence to the inquiry.
8. AOB
The Chair noted that the APG last week submitted a written response to the House of Commons Digital Culture Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into the regulation of gambling.
9. Next meeting
The APG will next meet on Monday, the 27 February, via Zoom.