HC Deb 27 March 1998 vol 309 cc303-4W
Mr. Bermingham

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will instruct the Lottery Regulator to investigate the ergonomic design of lottery ticket machines issuing lottery tickets to customers of Camelot, with particular reference to the absence of a visual display that can be seen by the customer at the point of sale; [36078]

(2) what assessment he has made of the means by which the numbers on lucky dip option tickets are selected; and if he will make a statement; [36080]

(3) if he will request the Lottery Regulator to investigate the method by which Camelot issues lucky dip tickets to customers, with special reference to allowing for verbal commission of tickets. [36079]

Mr. Banks

[holding answer 24 March 1998]I have asked the Acting Director-General of the National Lottery to consider the issues my hon. Friend has raised and to write to me. Once I have received his reply I will write to my hon. Friend and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list the initiatives to be paid for from the New Opportunities Fund and the amounts they will receive during the lifetime of the current National Lottery operating licence; [360651

(2) how much money from the New Opportunities Fund will be used to fund the national childcare strategy during the lifetime of the current National Lottery licence. [36066]

Mr. Chris Smith

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the National Lottery Bill, the first three initiatives to be supported by the New Opportunities Fund will be information and communications technology training for teachers and librarians, including creation of content, healthy living centres and out of school hours activities, including childcare. As my hon. Friend Lord McIntosh announced on Second Reading of the National Lottery Bill on 18 December 1997,Official Report, House of Lords, columns 729–37, funds will be allocated as follows: £300 million for information and communications technology training for teachers and librarians, including £50 million for creation of content, by 2001; £200 million for healthy living centres by 2001, with a further £100 million thereafter; and £300 million for out of school hours activities by 2001, with a further £100 million thereafter. Of this £400 million, £180 million will support out of school hours learning activities and, as part of the national childcare strategy, £200 million will support out of school childcare and £20 million will support integrated childcare and learning schemes.