National Lottery Bill

When the lottery was introduced, it was a great, noble and aspirational idea. It was a little like a marvellous African bull elephant in its prime. However, the Bill has brought it low. Introducing the measure is a little like shooting that beautiful bull elephant in the leg. It will not kill it—the bull elephant will run off into the undergrowth, settle for a few months and then return. It will have recovered but it will have a limp and not be quite as wonderful as it was. The Minister claims that the lottery is a great national institution. It was, but I fear that the Bill makes it simply another institution. That is a great shame. The measure gives central Government far too much control over the destination of lottery money. The Minister claims that the Big Lottery Fund will be kept at arm’s length but it will be the hand at the end of the Government’s arm. In essence, it will be a dead hand. The Bill dissipates so many of the aspects that make the lottery a great national institution. Too much money is being siphoned off to fund central Government expenditure on health, education and the environment. Again, that is a great shame. The Minister gave a wonderful, uplifting example of what the national lottery has done in Broxbourne, where it was used to take second world war veterans overseas to France, to places that they had perhaps not visited for 60 years. That is what the national lottery is for. It is for special things—village greens, community halls, the arts and museums. It is not for cancer and heart scanners—the national health service is for that. The lottery is for those people in Broxbourne to whom the Minister referred. I sincerely hope that he and the Government remember that. Question put, That the Bill be now read the Third time:— The House divided: Ayes 246, Noes 159.