§ 4. Phil Hope (Corby)If she will make a statement on her assessment of Camelot's ability to deliver its projected funding for good causes. [2423]
§ The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell)The National Lottery Commission made it clear, when it awarded the licence to Camelot in December, that it thought both bidders—Camelot and The People's Lottery—were over-optimistic in their sales projections. The commission's best estimate is that sales will be maintained at their current levels of around £5 billion a year, which would mean more than £10 billion for good causes over the duration of the next licence. Of course, everyone will be delighted if Camelot achieves more than that, but that is partly in its gift and partly depends on the confidence that the British public have in the lottery.
§ Phil HopeI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply and welcome her to the Dispatch Box. There is a concern that there might be a shortfall in the amount of money available from Camelot going into good causes. The Furniture Turnaround project in my constituency applied to the community fund; as it is a marvellous project, everyone agreed that it should receive the money. However, not enough money was available and that was 6 because not enough money was coming from Camelot. Will my right hon. Friend press Camelot to make sure that, in years to come, a good proportion of the moneys that it raises goes into local good causes, because those good causes raise people's confidence in the lottery itself?
§ Tessa JowellI entirely accept my hon. Friend's point. Every single constituency has benefited from lottery funding, and it requires the powerful advocacy of individual Members of Parliament to secure the maximum available for their constituents.
§ Mr. Chris Smith (Islington, South and Finsbury)May I give my warm congratulations to my right hon. Friend on taking up what is undoubtedly the best job in government? She will find that it has its ups and downs but that she has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of millions of people in this country. In that context, whatever the sum of money raised for good causes by the national lottery, will she give a firm commitment that the percentages within that sum for the arts, sport, heritage and charities will be maintained throughout the period of the current franchise?
§ Tessa JowellI can certainly give that undertaking to my right hon. Friend, whom I thank. I know that the House will want to pay tribute to his outstanding period as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. As he will know, because he was responsible for renegotiating it, there will be a realignment of the amount allocated to each of the beneficiaries when the millennium fund ceases and the funds currently allocated to the millennium fund are allocated to the new opportunities fund, whose share will rise to 33 per cent. of the total.