Earlier this week the question of Britain’s super casino once again came up in discussions at the House of Commons. Tessa Jowell, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, was asked to make a statement regarding the recommendation for the location of the regional casino. She replied that the government is considering how to proceed and that an announcement would be made in due course. It was then suggested that she presumably regretted taking advice to split the 16 smaller casinos from the vote for the super casino.

Andrew Mackay MP (Con) requested an order and legislation so that the process for licensing the 16 new casinos, which are largely unopposed, could continue. Tessa Jowell once again maintained that the failure to approve the 17 licences by the House of Lords had been nothing more than party politicking and said that the House would be informed of the government’s proposals to take the matter forward. Another Conservative MP, Anne Milton, commented that it appears that the retiring Prime Minister, Tony Blair, wants two regional casinos and ‘the Prime Minister-in-waiting’ Gordon Brown wants none at all.

On being asked to put an end to the confusion over the regional casino and confirm that no more will be considered until the social and economic impact assessed for three years, Tessa Jowell affirmed that there will be one regional casino during this Parliament. No others will be considered until the one has been properly evaluated. Blackpool still insists that it is not giving up on its struggle to be granted a regional casino either instead of or in addition to Manchester. The Conservative opposition do not support an additional regional casino but do want the Casino Advisory Panel’s decision to choose Manchester re-examined. (E-05.25.07)

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