HC Deb 14 October 1996 vol 282 cc447-9
5. Sir Teddy Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the total sum paid in prizes and the total sum contributed to charitable and community causes since the establishment of the national lottery. [37926]

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

As at 7 October, Camelot had paid a total of £3.032 billion in prize money. The National Lottery Charities Board has made 4,757 awards for a total of £318.4 million to charities and voluntary organisations. In addition, more than 85 per cent. of all lottery awards made so far have gone to charities or voluntary organisations.

Sir Teddy Taylor

Do not these enormous sums demonstrate how unfair the critics of the national lottery have been? In offering my right hon. Friend my sincere congratulations on a fantastic achievement, I ask her to ensure that as much as possible of that money goes to good causes in Southend-on-Sea.

Mrs. Bottomley

As we have passed the 100th national lottery draw, we have the opportunity to take stock and see how lottery awards are falling in constituents across the country. In my hon. Friend's constituency, eight awards, amounting to £1.25 million, have been made— from the tennis club, to the Jewish youth centre, to an art gallery and to a cricket club. I have sent all hon. Members a copy of the leaflet "It could be your good cause" so that those who feel that their constituencies have not understood the opportunities inherent in the national lottery can offer advice and encouragement to take them.

Mr. Faulds

Has the right hon. Lady yet established, or will she be establishing, or will she be getting one of her ministerial colleagues to establish, an investigation into the appalling social and economic damage that the national lottery is doing to the poorer families in every one of our constituencies? These are the people who most need to dream this unrealisable dream.

Mrs. Bottomley

I respect any hon. Member who believes that we should continue to monitor the effect of the national lottery, but there is very careful observation of it. The family expenditure survey last year suggested that the average weekly household spend is £2.30, which is not excessive. When one considers the good that is being done to causes up and down the country and the number of charities, and sports and arts projects— especially in inner-city areas—that have benefited, one has to accept that overall the lottery has had a monumentally good effect on the country.

Sir Alan Haselhurst

Despite the publicity to which my right hon. Friend referred, does she feel that the full potential of the national lottery has yet been appreciated by many community groups and will she consider the possibility of more direct advertising, perhaps on television, to bring home to them their opportunities to apply?

Mrs. Bottomley

I will consider all options because I want every group to understand how to access the money. It is interesting that bowls clubs have benefited from the national lottery. I understand that that is because they were circulated about the application procedures. I welcomed the results from our Building Communities Week this year, in which we went to various parts of the country, especially those which I believed had not yet realised the full potential of the national lottery, and not only to areas which were clear success stories. Together with all the distributing bodies, I will make further efforts to ensure that, if there are parts of the country that have not yet achieved the full benefit from the lottery, they will have the information to do so.

Dr. John Cunningham

Did the right hon. Lady approve the speech of her right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister at Bournemouth last week, when he said that, after 1999, it was his intention to use Millennium Commission money to fund information technology projects in schools? As the right hon. Gentleman is simultaneously proposing that, after 1999, Millennium Commission money should be used to shore up the millennium exhibition, which seems to be escalating out of control, and since that money cannot be spent twice, which of those projects of the Deputy Prime Minister does she support?

Mrs. Bottomley

The answer is yes: I did approve of what my right hon. Friend said. He said that there was a commitment to make good any difficulties concerning the millennium festival through Millennium Commission funds before allocating them to a further purpose. It is important, however, to make sure that the operating company for the festival is properly established and that good value for money is achieved. I have no doubt that it will be a magnificent festival which will set an example to the world in the year 2000.