HC Deb 21 June 2000 vol 352 c233W
Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blyth Valley (Mr. Campbell) of 15 May 2000,Official Report, column 580W, on Lottery grants, what steps are proposed to increase the amount of Lottery money going to the constituency of Wirral South. [126955]

Kate Hoey

Following the publication on 5 June of a report on the impact of the National Lottery on coalfield and other areas of low take-up, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has set up an action team, involving representatives of both Government and Lottery distributors. The team will look into ways of ensuring that areas of low take-up such as Wirral South receive greater benefit from National Lottery money. Measures to be developed by the team include actively encouraging applications, reducing partnership funding requirements, making decision-making more transparent and a scheme where successful bidders teach other would-be applicants how to apply.