National Lottery Bill

I must take issue with the noble Viscount about the great majority of the New Opportunities Fund going to local authorities. The money from the New Opportunity Fund funded a huge range of projects which gave great satisfaction to those receiving them. Even in the New Opportunities Fund days, at least 40 per cent of its money always went to the voluntary and community sector. As the cash available to the New Opportunities Fund was greater than that available to the Community Fund, in cash terms the New Opportunities Fund contributed at least as much, if not more, to the voluntary and community sector as the old Community Fund. It seems to me that we should accept the Big Lottery Fund’s commitment to allocate 60 per cent to 70 per cent of its funding to the voluntary and community sector. I understand that whatever we call it—the third sector, the voluntary sector or the charitable sector—the sector is largely satisfied with both that approach and the way in which that money is proposed. The consultation has been very extensive indeed. I should perhaps remind your Lordships that even where money appears to go to local authorities, to the health service or whatever, it is very often after consultation and in co-operation as a joint project with the voluntary sector. So I suspect that we will see even more of the money going to the voluntary and community sector than the 60 per cent or 70 per cent promised by the Big Lottery Fund.