Orders of the Day — National Lottery Bill [Lords]

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 5:51 pm on 7 April 1998.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Robert Maclennan Mr Robert Maclennan Party Chair, Liberal Democrats 5:51, 7 April 1998

The right hon. Lady will no doubt make her own justificatory speech. Other hon. Members have confined themselves to short speeches and I have already gone on longer than some.

The Bill gives distributing bodies the power to solicit applications and to be proactive. In a way, I understand that, but it does not reflect the people's priorities. It also seems likely that, because of the reduction in funding, much of the strategic planning of those bodies will involve making less than adequate resources go round. That is regrettable.

In some ways, the Bill is an improvement in lottery regulation, but it is a step back in its widening of the ambit of the lottery's good causes. I therefore cannot possibly support it, but I do not feel minded to vote against it either.