§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what procedures are in place to ensure an efficient transfer of lottery funds to the projects to which they have been committed; and if she will make a statement. [31598]
§ Mr. CabornThere is no single central procedure designed specifically to facilitate swift transfer of committed funds to projects: this reflects their diversity.340W Project operators draw down funds from distributing bodies, and distributing bodies from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF), when they are needed. Much depends on the nature and size of individual projects, the terms on which individual distributing bodies offer grant to particular projects and the arrangements agreed between the distributing body and the project operator. We are, however, considering a number of measures to speed up transfer of NLDF funds to projects.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had in January with lottery distributors regarding the transfer of lottery funds to the projects to which they have been committed; on what date these discussions took place; and if she will make a statement. [31597]
§ Mr. CabornMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met chairs of the National Lottery distributing bodies on 24 January. The distribution of National Lottery proceeds, and the Government's wish to see the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) balance fall, were agenda items.
The Department is considering, with the distributing bodies, a range of measures which might facilitate a faster release of the 92 per cent. of NLDF funds that are committed to projects. These include revising financial directions to permit advance payment for low risk projects and, to help applicants get their projects under way more quickly, taking a more flexible approach to partnership funding and providing more funding for project planning.