Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Bill Olner (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 24 April 2006 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

National Lottery

Question: My constituency has had moneys from the lottery fund. However, it seems to be rather bizarre that a rich football club such as Manchester United has access to lottery funds, funds that could have been spent in many more deprived areas throughout the country.

Answer: I am glad that my hon. Friend, who is a great champion for the lottery for his constituency, has raised this point, which has been the subject of some controversy over the weekend. This is not a decision to which Ministers were party. Decisions about lottery spend are taken by the lottery distributors and not by Ministers. The decision was taken by the regional board of Sport England in pursuit of the objective of getting employers to boost the levels of activity and fitness of their employees. The point is that this is a grant—[Interruption.] It involves rich employers and less rich employers. That is absolutely right. There is a challenge to those employers. It involves £30,000 over three years, matched by £100,000 from the employer. The judgment of the lottery board is that that money is worth risking to get those who work for Manchester United, or any of the other 40 companies in the north-west who have been funded by the initiative, to become more active. Sometimes, it is worth looking at the broader context in which those grants are made before leaping to judgment and cheap headlines.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 445 c345
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Disadvantaged National Lottery Manchester United Local government Poverty Social conditions
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk