§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many organisations in receipt of Lottery grants in 2000–01 were subject to special investigations arising from concerns about how the money was used; and if she will make a statement. [43810]
§ Mr. CabornThis information is not held centrally. The National Lottery distributing bodies make decisions independently of the Government on the award and monitoring of Lottery grants.
The distributing bodies are required by the financial directions issued to them under section 26 (3), (3A) and (4) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (as amended by the National Lottery Act 1998) to attach conditions to any National Lottery grant award. These conditions must include the provision that the grant must be used for the purpose set out in the application made by the recipient, and the condition that the grant may have to be repaid in full or in part if any of the grant conditions are breached.
The financial directions issued to each distributing body also require the body to maintain effective controls to prevent and detect fraud and have systems in place to deal effectively with cases of fraud, however they might have been identified. Distributors are expected to ensure that their procedures address the risks identified in a manual on lottery fraud issued by my Department.