HC Deb 19 December 2000 vol 360 cc131-2W
Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the Lottery Commissioners met on their visit to the USA; if he will instruct the Lottery Commissioners to request a Standard and Poor analysis of all of the respective partners of(a) Camelot and (b) The People's Lottery bids for the National Lottery. [142567]

Kate Hoey

I have asked the National Lottery Commission to write to my hon. Friend, setting out who the Commissioners met on their visit to the USA, and to place a copy of its letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

The National Lottery Commission has carried out extensive checks on both applicants for the National Lottery licence. The Government will not direct the Commission to carry out specific checks: we believe that the Commission is best placed to determine what checks are necessary, in line with its statutory duties to protect the interests of players, to ensure the Lottery is operated with all due propriety, and, subject to meeting those two criteria, to maximise the returns to good causes.