Tuesday, December 19, 2006

ILLEGAL gambling dens could spread in Redbridge unless the council gets more
money to deal with the problem. Community protection officer, Alan Drake,
fears the council will be unable to carry out its new licensing and
enforcement responsibilities under the Gambling Act 2005, unless proposed
funding levels are increased.
He said: "We aren't currently equipped to enforce the legislation under the
Act, and to be honest, the £20,000 of funding we will get each year will
barely cover our administrative costs. "What this means in practice is that
if we hear about a suspected illegal gambling den in the borough, we will
not have the manpower or finances to take action against it." Speaking at a
recent area one committee meeting, Snaresbrook ward councillor, Sue Nolan,
dismissed the Act, which transfers full responsibility for the licensing of
gambling premises to local councils from Wednesday, January 2007, as an
example of Government incompetence. She said: "This Act just looks like more
muddled policy and spin to me, with very little thought gone into the
practicalities involved. "This is simply another example of the Government
asking local councils to carry out new duties without giving us the finances
to do so effectively. "It's essential the council has the capability to
enforce the law when alerted to illegal gambling by the public." Councillors
have forwarded a recommendation calling for the Government to increase the
proposed level of funding.