National Lottery Bill

Far from it. We seek to ensure that the Big Lottery can play its part in the distribution of resources. The noble Viscount is right, of course. The Carnegie Trust should not underestimate its range or the work that it does. It has been interested, as I indicated, in passing funding for some rural projects to the Community Fund, because the Community Fund has the structures in place. There was no point in the Carnegie Fund duplicating those structures and spending significant resources on distribution, when the distribution mechanisms were there and able to guarantee that resources flowed through. Partnership is certainly within the framework. The danger is that the amendments lead to a restriction on the Big Lottery. The Government are not trying to create big powers for the Big Lottery; the Big Lottery itself has sought these opportunities because it can see ways in which it can be cost-effective and serve the community. The noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, is absolutely right: a great deal of this relates to the community and voluntary sector, which is the subject of a great many of the amendments we will go on to discuss. We are seeking to enable the Big Lottery to play its proper part in that area.