National Lottery Bill

moved Amendment No. 57:"After Clause 19, insert the following new clause—" ““DIRECTIONS ON LARGE PROJECTS    In section 26 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (c. 39) (directions to distributing bodies) after subsection (4A) insert— ““(4B)   The Secretary of State shall give directions to distributing bodies that no project may be awarded a grant or loan by the Lottery Distribution Fund that exceeds 25 per cent of the distributing body’s annual budget.”””” The noble Viscount said: This further probing amendment seeks the Government’s view on large grants, because when one looks at the history of what might be called the mega amounts of money going to individual projects, it is not a terribly happy picture. Some of the others have not been successful and, in some instances, over 25 per cent of the budget of a distributor in any one year has gone to a single project. We think that dangerous and hope that the Government will not encourage that in future. Perhaps the Minister might say something on the Government’s view on that, and whether it will be part of either guidance or directions to the distributing bodies. I beg to move.