HC Deb 04 July 2001 vol 371 cc209-11W
Mr. Challen

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which constituencies have received(a) less than 10 per cent. and (b) less than 15 per cent. of the national average for constituencies of grants to good causes from the national lottery. [1838]

Mr. Caborn

My Department's national lottery awards database allocates awards to constituencies based on the postcodes for the project or applicant supplied by the national lottery distributing bodies. According to the figures on this database, the following constituencies have received less than 10 per cent. of the average (mean) value of awards by constituency:

  • Denton and Reddish
  • Hayes and Harlington
  • Billericay
  • Southend, West
  • Hornchurch
  • Morley and Rothwell
  • Birmingham, Hall Green
  • Doncaster, North
  • Bexleyheath and Crayford
  • Birmingham, Northfield
  • Birmingham, Erdington
    • 210W
  • Normanton
  • Corydon, South
  • Romford
  • Castle Point.

In addition, the following constituencies have received less than 15 per cent. (but more than 10 per cent.) of the mean:

  • Chingford and Woodford Green
  • Broxtowe
  • Birmingham, Hodge Hill
  • Cannock Chase
  • Wentworth
  • Walsall, North
  • Wirral, West
  • Ruislip-Northwood
  • Hamilton, South
  • Makerfield
  • Reigate
  • Airdrie and Shotts
  • Reading, West
  • Worthing, West
  • Newport, East
  • Gedling
  • Haltemprice and Howden
  • Crawley
  • Redditch
  • Tamworth
  • Brent, North
  • Meriden
  • Blackpool, North and Fleetwood
  • South-West Bedfordshire
  • Cheadle.

Mr. Challen

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements are made to monitor the distribution of national Lottery funds. [1830]

Mr. Caborn

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's directions to he national lottery distributing bodies (issued under section 26(3) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993) require them to institute systems of project monitoring. They ate also required to publish details of their monitoring activities in their annual reports (copies of which are placed in the Library of the House). My Department collects details of all national lottery grant awards and places them on the national lottery awards database, which is available via the Department's website www.culture.gov.uk

Mr. Challen

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the disparities between constituencies of grants to good causes from the national lottery. [1831]

Mr. Caborn

The Government are keen to see all areas receive a fair share c f funding. Reforms introduced under the National Lottery Act 1998, the revised policy directions issued to lottery distributors in the same year, and targeted programmes introduced by distributors, such as the Community Fund' s Priority Areas Initiative, were designed to reduced these disparities and there has been some improvement. We recognise, however, that there is still more to be done and that is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 27 June the new £150 million initiative to target funds at some 50 areas which are both deprived and have received less lottery funding than other parts of the country.

Mr. Challen

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines arc set for the creation and distribution of the national lottery community first fund. [1832]

Mr. Caborn

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the community fund to target £100 million of its funds, and the new opportunities fund to target an additional £50 million to some 50 areas which are both deprived and have received less lottery funding than other parts of the country. The community fund and the new opportunities fund will use their knowledge and experience to develop the detailed arrangements for the scheme and will take the lead in determining the areas to be targeted. The scheme will be UK-wide and will begin in April 2002.

Mr. Challen

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures have been put in place to promote applications to the national lottery community fund from the areas the fund is designed to assist. [1829]

£000
Arts Sport Heritage Charities Millennium projects Health, education and environment projects1
1994–95 58,523 58,518 58,522 58,535 59,649 —
1995–96 302,277 302,392 301,679 302,909 303,167 —
1996–97 312,294 313,946 313,816 313,979 318,078 —
1997–87 358,413 368,154 370,694 366,205 402,696 107,743
1998–99 284,923 306,710 315,022 304,414 397,145 330,442
1999–2000 262,926 273,172 287,593 275,487 349,839 302,559
2000–01 285,403 298,411 321,859 295,433 345,093 243,245
1 Includes £200 million for the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts