HL Deb 19 April 2004 vol 660 c17WA
Lord Dixon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Since the commitment in the National Lottery funding decision document to increase the public's involvement in decisions on lottery spending, what consultations about particular local decisions and with whom the Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund have carried out in:

  1. (a) South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council;
  2. (b) North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council;
  3. (c) Newcastle Metropolitan Borough Council;
  4. (d) Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council; and
  5. (e) Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council. [HL2330]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The Community Fund makes most of its grant decisions on a regional basis. Decisions on grants in the north-east are made by a committee drawn from the region and this committee includes members of the north-east public drawn by lot.

The New Opportunities Fund regularly consults with local authority officials. In particular, the fund arranges meetings twice a year with representatives from each north-east local authority to discuss grant decisions in their area.

The National Lottery funding decision document refers to the future of the National Lottery, in particular the approach that the recently announced Big Lottery Fund will take. The Big Lottery Fund will merge the work of the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund. Plans are being developed for consultation events on how the Big Lottery Fund will work and these will involve the public across the UK, including the north-east areas mentioned in my noble friend's question.