§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to require the organisers of the national lottery to conduct a survey of public opinion before determining the disbursement of funds to charities.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerDisbursement of lottery proceeds for charitable expenditure is the responsibility of the National Lottery Charities Board. It is a principle of the lottery that the operator, Camelot, has no role to play in the disbursement of proceeds. I shall be issuing the board with directions as to the matters which it must take into account in making grants, but within that framework it will be responsible for deciding its own policies, practices and procedures. The current draft directions include the148W need to make grants to small, local organisations and those without immediate popular appeal as well as to large, national high-profile bodies. It is for the board to determine what factors to take into account before determining its policies. I understand that the board will be undertaking detailed consultation with the charitable and voluntary sectors before reaching decisions on these matters.