Clause 11 - Distributing bodies: publicity

Part of National Lottery Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:30 am on 1 November 2005.

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Photo of Don Foster Don Foster Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 10:30, 1 November 2005

[Interruption.] Mr. Cook, thank you for giving me this opportunity to try to speak over the various extraneous noises.

This is an important pair of amendments. I begin by saying that I am not opposed to national lottery distributors giving information about how they use the money. [Interruption.] This is very difficult, but I shall continue.

I have no objection to lottery distributors using schemes such as the blue plaque scheme to give members of the public who spend money on the national lottery a good indication of where the money goes. Indeed, I would encourage them to do so. The Committee will recall my hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), whom I welcome to her place despite the interruptions, pointing out that, sadly, the public are misinformed about how lottery money is used. If, as we shall debate later, there are to be increased opportunities for members of the public to participate in decisions about where lottery good causes money goes, it is clear that there will be a need for high-quality information about how the money is spent.

I do not want anybody to misunderstand what I am saying. I am deeply concerned about lottery distributors encouraging people to play the national lottery.