§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the amount of money in(a) nominal and (b) real terms which will be available to the New Opportunities Fund in each year from 1998 to 2005. [57204]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 29 October 1998]: We are currently discussing with the distributing bodies how to adjust their percentage shares so as to provide the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) with an additional £400 million by the end of the present licence period. Until these discussions have taken place, the annual income assumptions for the NOF cannot be finalised. Beyond 2001, the distributors in the arts, sports, heritage and charities have each been guaranteed 16.67 per cent. of Lottery revenues and, once the Millennium stream comes to an end, the NOF's share will rise to 33.33 per cent.