§ 8. Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress has been made to ensure that lottery funds can be used for expenditure on items other than capital items. [7607]
§ Mr. SproatThe National Lotteries Charities Board and the Millennium Commission have always been able to make revenue awards. In April, I announced changes to the policy directions to allow the Arts and Sports Councils to make revenue awards. The first arts and sports revenue programmes were announced in November. The National Heritage Bill will allow the heritage lottery fund the same flexibility.
§ 14. Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to increase the percentage of national lottery funds directed to good causes. [7608]
§ Mr. SproatNone. The Director General of the National Lottery appointed Camelot as the operator of the national lottery because over the course of the licence it offered the best return to good causes. The National Audit Office reviewed the evaluation process and supported the director general's decision. The percentage of funds going to the good causes could be increased only through a change to the licence, with Camelot's agreement.
§ 15. Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will ensure that greater priority is given to projects benefiting children and young people in the distribution of lottery proceeds. [7609]
§ Mrs Virginia BottomleyYoung people and children are already benefiting greatly from the lottery. At least 1,500 awards, worth more than £175 million have already been made.
I directed the distributing bodies specifically to take the needs of young people into account when I issued a new policy directions to them in April this year.
The schemes launched last month by the Arts and Sports Councils under these directions will allow children and young people to benefit even further from the lottery.
§ 19. Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the total sum contributed by the national lottery to organisations, groups and charities in the borough of Southend-on-Sea. [7613]
§ Mrs. BottomleyTwelve national lottery awards have been made in the borough of Southend-on-Sea with a total value of £2.3 million.
§ 20. Dr. SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the role of the national lottery in preserving the nation's historic churches. [7614]
§ Mr. SproatThe national lottery provides a tremendous opportunity for the preservation of historic churches and cathedrals in this country. To date, the heritage lottery fund has made 121 grants totalling £14.8 million to preserve our ecclesiastical heritage.
440WThe heritage lottery fund and English Heritage have also worked together to produce a single procedure whereby churches and other places of worship can apply for funding from both sources through a single route; £20 million a year could be available through this joint scheme which will make it easier for congregations to apply for funding.
24. Mr. LullTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many grants the national lottery funding bodies have made to protect and conserve the nation's heritage since the inception of the lottery. [7619]
§ Mrs. BottomleyThe heritage lottery fund, which has responsibility for allocating lottery proceeds specifically to projects concerned with the protection and conservation of the nation's heritage, has made 604 grants totalling £368 million.
§ 27. Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations she has received about the effect on smaller charities of the national lottery; and if she will make a statement. [7622]
§ Mrs. BottomleyThe introduction of the national lottery has given charities and voluntary organisations of all sizes unparalleled opportunities to secure significant new funding for projects and initiatives across a wide range of activities. While I have received many representations about the effect of the national lottery on small charities, it is too early to say or to identify what other effects, if any, the national lottery is having on charities' incomes, and my Department is engaged in research into the matter. What is certain is that the lottery has led, and will lead, to hundreds of millions of pounds of additional money reaching charitable and voluntary organisations every year.
§ Mrs. Bridget PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on national lottery awards to disadvantaged groups. [7612]
§ Mr. SproatThe National Lottery Charities Board has made 5,160 awards, with a total value of £352 million to charitable, benevolent and philanthropic groups.