§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what sum has accrued to Camelot Group plc in respect of its operation of the national lottery, arising from its percentage income agreed under its contract; [15653]
(2) what has been the initial outlay of Camelot Group plc on the establishment, administration and promotion of the national lottery since the date of the award of the contract; [15652]
(3) what was the total number of staff employed at the Office of the National Lottery; and what is the total annual cost to the Exchequer of the Office of the National Lottery. [15654]
§ Mr. DorrellThe administration costs of the Office of the National Lottery are met from the national lottery distribution fund. The net cost to the Exchequer is therefore nil. I have asked the Director-General to write to the hon. Member on the other matters raised, placing copies of his letter in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will state Mr. Peter Gummer's term of office and salary as head of the Arts Council lottery committee; and what provision has been made for severence pay in the case of early termination of office. [16252]
§ Mr. DorrellMr. Gummer has been reappointed as a member of the Arts Council of England for a three-year period from 1 April 1995. One of his responsibilities as a member of the Council is to chair the Arts Council's national lottery advisory board. No remuneration is attached to membership of the Arts Council or its advisory committees.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will require Messrs Camelot to publish, on a weekly basis, a statement of revenue, distribution, expenses and retained profit. [15862]
§ Mr. DorrellCamelot Group plc is subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and is required to lodge accounts with Companies House annually. I have no552W powers to require Camelot to publish information regarding retained profit on any other basis.
§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the percentage of receipts from the national lottery being held by Camelot plc each week. [16193]
§ Mr. Dorrell[holding answer 24 March 1995]: This is a matter for the director-general of the national lottery. I have therefore asked him to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his letter in the Library of the House.
§ Mr Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage to whom each of the five lottery distributing bodies are accountable. [16670]
§ Mr. DorrellThe 11 national lottery distributing bodies—including the four national arts councils and the four national sports councils—are accountable to Parliament and will be preparing annual reports and accounts which will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the average period between national lottery competitions held so far and the payment of lottery duty to the Treasury. [15860]
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryI have been asked to reply.
To date, there have been 15 national lottery competitions for which payment has been received. The average period between the date of the competition and the payment of lottery duty to the Treasury was 27 days.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will calculate the additional amount of revenue which would have accrued to the Treasury in interest if payments of lottery duty had been made within 10 days of each competition since the inception of the national lottery. [15861]
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryI have been asked to reply.
To date, there have been 15 national lottery competitions for which payment has been received. If the lottery duty due on these competitions had been paid 10 days after the date of the competition the additional interest which would have accrued to the Treasury is approximately £200,000.