I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together.
I do not consider it necessary to make any further changes at present to the rate of betting tax which I reduced from 10% to 5% with effect from 1 July 1999. The provisional figures for receipts for betting duty for January 2000 and February 2000 are £3 million and £3.2 million. The figures for the corresponding months for January 1999 and February 1999 are £5.3 million and £4.4 million. The figures cannot be compared directly, due to the different rates of duty applicable. However, the overall receipts for 1999, at £53.4 million, were up on the 1998 receipts of £52.1 million, despite the halving of the rate of duty from 1 July 1999.