SUBMISSION 13
Letter to Derek Wyatt MP from Andrew Smith
MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Thank you for your letter of 27 March to Gordon
Brown about the Government's response to the Budd Review on Gambling.
I have been asked to reply.
I do not accept that the implications of the
Review will impact on Camelot's ability to hit its targets. The
Government applauds the achievement of the Lottery in raising
£11 billion for a wide variety of good causes, and is committed
to ensuring this success continues. We recognise that the support
it provides for good causes means it should not operate on the
same playing field as other kinds of gambling. It was therefore
decided to reject recommendations to permit side-bets on the lottery
by bookmakers, as well as the removal of current limits on the
size of charity and other lotteries in order to avoid the risk
of them competing head to head. However, we have recognised the
work for good causes done by these lotteries in allowing the doubling
of limit on ticket sales and prizes.
The Government is also committed to empowering
communities and involving local people in the delivery of policy
goals, as part of the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal
and local government reform. Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chests
have already been set up to provide small grants to community
groups to spend on projects which stimulate and support community
activity. Examples of what Community Chests can be used for range
from buying toys for a local play-group, funding a community outing
to meeting the costs of enabling a community group to be set up.
£50 million is available over 3 years for the 88 most deprived
local authority areas.
26 April 2002
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