Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will investigate the reasons for the level of National Lottery grants given to organisations in Tewkesbury. [113185]
§ Kate Hoey[holding answer 6 March 2000]: Tewkesbury has received a lower level of Lottery grants than the UK average. The Government wish to see a more equitable distribution of National Lottery funds across the UK. We have introduced a number of changes through the National Lottery Act 1998 and revised Policy Directions to the distributors which have already begun to improve the geographical spread of funding. My Department, jointly with Lottery distributors, has commissioned research aimed at investigating the reasons for the low take up of Lottery grants in certain areas. While the research concentrates particularly on former coalfield areas, we expect that it will also provide a number of valuable lessons about low take up in other areas, such as Tewkesbury. The first phase of this research has been published and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House; the second phase will be published shortly.