Clause 17 - Outstanding balances
National Lottery Bill
11:15 am
Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)
As the hon. Member for East Devon says, the amendments would require the remaining balance of the Millennium Commission fund to be distributed to all good causes. Amendment No. 71 would prevent the Millennium Commission’s remaining balances from being transferred to the Big Lottery Fund. Amendment No. 72 would require the balances to be distributed proportionately to all good causes according to their normal percentage share, as provided in section 22(3) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993.
The current balance of the Commission is £83 million, of which £67million is committed. As successor body to the Millennium Commission, the Big Lottery Fund will be obliged to take on the funding commitments for the Commission’s existing projects. The combined effect of the amendments would therefore be to prevent the remaining balances from meeting those commitments. Indeed, it would be to rob those concerned of the promised funding. It would not be right to transfer the liabilities of the Commission to the Big Lottery Fund without also transferring its assets.
Amendment No. 72 would prevent the use of any uncommitted element of the balance by the Big Lottery Fund for its own projects, including big transformational projects of national significance similar to those funded by the Millennium Commission.
We have tried to bring the three funds together financially, but we have also brought the staff together. I am pleased that we have gradually been transferring staff from work on the millennium project at the Millennium Commission and integrating them with what will be the Big Lottery Fund. They are working well together, so some of the big projects can still be carried out, with the expertise of the personnel who are carried over to the Big Lottery Fund.