WEST Dunbartonshire’s licensing board convener has hit back at Clydebank’s MSP in a war of words over gambling in the town.

Councillor John Mooney said he was concerned Gil Paterson was “unaware” of the new powers handed to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Act 2016.

But the MSP repeated his attacks on the convener and went even further, accusing the councillor of being controlled by London and waging “political warfare against Scots”.

Cllr Mooney told the Post: “It is disappointing that our MSP has made a party-political response to my statement as convener of the licensing board. This statement was simply intended to clarify the regulatory and legislative context within which we must make our decisions on applications for gambling licences.

“I have received several enquiries about the recent applications for gaming centres, and I note that there was considerable concern about these applications expressed by Bankies in the Clydebank Post.

“It is also concerning that our MSP is apparently unaware of the new powers on gaming machines that the Scottish Parliament has acquired since the Scotland Act 2016 came into effect.

“These new powers resulted from a joint campaign by the Scottish Government and local authorities, including West Dunbartonshire Council. I hope that, in time, we will take back more powers over gambling to the Scottish Parliament and councils.

“This is not a matter of party politics, but working together to protect vulnerable people from harm related to lack of regulation of gambling.”

Section 52 of the Scotland Act 2016 covers “gaming machines on licensed betting premises” and the Scottish government said the powers were limited to new machines.

But the UK government announced a review in October including maximum gaming machines stakes and prizes, allocations of gaming machines in licensed premises, and social responsibility measures to minimise the risk of gambling related harm.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish government will consider the outcome of the UK consultation before taking a view on what use of the limited powers available in Scotland might be proposed.”

Gil Paterson said the act did not go far enough to controlling gambling machines.

He lashed out: “The new powers do not even allow Scottish Parliament to legislate to vary the number of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) in licensed premises currently in use. This is not good enough.

“And while I welcome Scotland can now regulate the number of new machines, there is no way to regulate the present over-provision. I agree with GambleAware, which last month stated that FOBTs are not the cause of problem gambling, despite the misery they cause. The issue is far greater than that and we must have a root and branch approach to tackling the difficulties gambling creates in our communities.

“I repeat my comments, that Scotland needs full powers to address problem gambling. Tinkering around the edges will not suffice, in my view. The longer Westminster-led politicians fight against Scotland gaining more powers, the more people there are whose lives will be negatively impacted due to problem gambling.”

He continued: “The fact is Cllr Mooney answers to his party HQ in London, which wages political warfare against Scots, with despicable acts like project fear in recent years. For him to turn around and pontificate to the electorate that Scotland needs more powers, after he and his colleagues actively fight against the notion of additional new powers at every turn in Scotland, is truly insulting to the public.

“And just to reiterate, the Scottish Parliament does not have the powers to legislate on over-provision in gambling shops around Scotland. The Scottish Government did ask for this in a bid to deal with current over-provision issues.”