§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress is being made towards determining the site for the headquarters of the national lottery.
§ Mr. SproatMy hon. Friend is an extremely effective champion of anything that is in the good interests of Basildon. I congratulate him on that. In this case, of course, the choice of a site for the headquarters of the national lottery is not a matter for Ministers, but for the chosen operator of the national lottery. The choice of the operator, which will be made by the Director General of the Office of the National Lottery—OFLOT—will not be made until after the National Lottery Etc. Bill has received Royal Assent, and the Director General of OFLOT has been appointed.
My hon. Friend may care to identify potential candidates for the role of operator of the national lottery, before one such candidate is chosen, and explain to them all, and seek to convince them of the benefits, as he sees them, of Basildon as a site, so that whoever is chosen is fully briefed on Basildon. No doubt other hon. Members may also seek to convince potential operators of the benefits of other sites for the headquarters of the national lottery