§ Baroness Goudieasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made on the review of lottery distribution. [HL3808]
§ Lord Mcintosh of HaringeyThe Government are today publishing theirNational Lottery Funding Decision Document, which sets out the changes that the 131WA Government propose to make to the distribution of National Lottery funds.
The Lottery has been a huge success. Over £14 billion has been raised for good causes since 1994. However, nine years on from when the lottery started there is a need to revitalise the way lottery money is distributed. That is why last year we published a consultation document to consider how lottery distribution can be made more strategic and streamlined, and importantly how it can remain responsive to public need.
Ultimately our proposals are driven by the need to reconnect people with the lottery, to ensure that people are aware of, and can have greater influence over, how their money is spent, and to make it much easier for everyone to apply for and to use lottery money.
The document sets out proposals for involving the public more and responding to people's priorities. It also describes in more detail how we will create a new lottery distributor, merging the Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund. This new distributor will also take on some of the powers of the Millennium Commission, including the ability to fund big transformational projects of national significance. We also propose ways to improve the management of issues and projects which cut across lottery distributors, including proposals for a new lottery forum with a formal mandate to take forward more joined up working. We will create a more unified promotional approach to make clear the link between the lottery game and the money going to good causes, and more streamlining of the application process for grants.
I believe that these changes will enable us to build on the success already achieved and secure the lottery's position for the future. These changes will require legislation and we will bring forward proposals as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Copies of the National Lottery Funding Decision Document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and the text is also available on the DCMS departmental website at www.culture.gov.uk.
§ Lord Lofthouse of Pontefractasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made on the review of lottery licensing and regulation. [HL3809]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe Government are today publishing a document, which sets out the changes which they propose to make to the licensing and regulation of the National Lottery.
Our National Lottery is one of the most successful in the world. After 10 years and two licensing rounds, however, we cannot assume that current arrangements will continue to give the best outcome for good causes. That is why last year we published a consultation document to consider whether there might be scope to reinvigorate competition to run the lottery. The licensing proposals set out in the document are intended to take effect after the end of the current lottery operating licence in January 2009. The 132WA Government recognise the importance of stability and continuity to the operation of the lottery. These proposals therefore allow time for legislative changes to be brought forward and for the National Lottery Commission to begin early preparations for the new competitive arrangements.
The document proposes a radical new approach to licensing the National Lottery. It will move away from a requirement for a single major licence competition every seven years. We will strengthen the National Lottery Commission as regulator, and it will have the ability to offer for competition a range of licences to run different parts of the lottery. We would also allow for licences of different lengths. The commission will decide the scope of the competitions and the length of the licences before the end of Camelot's current licence. The commission will exercise its independent judgment in making these decisions, taking account of developments in technology and market conditions.
I believe that these changes will enable us to build on the success already achieved and secure the lottery's position for the future. They should not be taken as criticism either of Camelot or the commission, both of which have worked hard for the benefit of good causes within the constraints of the current statutory framework. The Government will bring forward legislative proposals as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Copies of the decision document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and the text is also available on the DCMS departmental website at www.culture.gov.uk.