§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of funds unallocated to good causes has been held by each of the Lottery fund distributors in each of the past five years; what percentage of their total balance this represented in each year; and if she will make a statement. [94138]
§ Mr. CabornAll funds held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) are allocated to one of the Good Causes. Information regarding funds not yet committed to projects by each distributing body is only readily available in the form requested for the past three years. The figures in the following table show the position at the end of each of the last three completed financial years.
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£ Distributor NLDF balance at 16 March 2000 Uncommitted funds NLDF balance at 31 March 2001 Uncommitted fund NLDF balance at 31 March 2002 Uncommitted fund UK Sports Council 4,165,842 -19,832,014 5,433,038 -66,179,747 8,011,662 -42,902,309 Sports Council of 20,141,848 13,989,556 330,132 Wales 29,308,659 (68.7 per cent.) 35,912,106 (39.0 per cent.) 39,765,549 (0.8 per cent.) 198,133,120 190,122,358 215,318,053 Total 3,540,820,963 (5.6 per cent.) 3,451,862,081 (5.5 per cent.) 3,558,834,694 (6.1 per cent.) Note:
A negative figure in the table appears where a distributing body's commitments exceed its balance. The figure in the 'Total' row for uncommitted funds is the sum of the positive amounts only. Negative figures have been treated as zero in these calculations.
Although some distributing bodies have funds in their NLDF balances which are not yet assigned to projects, the collective allocation of the 15 bodies is more than the total NLDF balance. The total level of commitment at September 2002, the latest date for which figures are available, stood at £3.99 billion, £470 million more than the balance of the NLDF at that time.
The question of how best to deliver Lottery money most effectively was a part of the recent consultation exercise on Lottery Distribution Policy carried out by my Department. Proposals arising from this exercise will be published later this year.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the variation in expenditure relative to revenue received of the Lottery income distributing bodies; and if she will make a statement. [94139]
§ Mr. CabornThere are significant differences between the 15 Lottery Distributing Bodies in terms of the nature of their activities and the type and timescale of the projects that they support.
There are therefore good reasons why different bodies will draw down funds raised for them at different rates. DCMS is working with the distributors to encourage and facilitate greater commitment of Lottery funds and the faster expenditure of committed money. This must however be consistent with the principles of good financial management and accountability.
At 30 September 2002, the distributors collectively had made commitments, with varying degrees of firmness, totalling 3.99 billion while the amount held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) at this time was 3.52 billion.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the accountability of the Lottery Fund distributing bodies and their application processes to(a) applicants, (b) the public and (c) her Department; what assessment she has made of them; and if she will make a statement. [94140]
§ Mr. CabornMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has from time to time received representations about the accountability of the Lottery distributors and their application processes. The Accounting Officer of a Lottery distributor is accountable to both the Department's Permanent Secretary and to Parliament for the proper and prudent expenditure of funds, and distributors' activities are subject to external audit by the National Audit Office. As Lottery proceeds allocated to distributors are public money, the general
950Wprinciples of Government Accounting must be applied in the design and implementation of systems for the distribution of that money. Each Lottery distributing body must, under the terms of its financial directions, publish and make available guidance on how to apply for funds.