§ 16. Shona McIsaacTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the allocation of national lottery funds to seaside towns. [119889]
§ Mr. Chris SmithThe National Lottery funds numerous projects which bring widespread benefits to seaside towns. Research jointly commissioned by my Department and the Lottery distributors into Lottery funding in the coalfields and other areas does however suggest that resort and retirement towns have made relatively fewer applications and have received less per capita than the national average. A second phase of the research, to be published shortly, will seek to identify the reasons for the low level of Lottery funding in certain areas and recommend ways of redressing the balance. I have directed distributors to ensure that there is the widest possible access in all parts of the country to Lottery funding and that funding contributes to reducing social and economic deprivation.