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National Lottery Bill

I am delighted to have the Minister’s vibrant response and, as he indicated, assurance after assurance put on the record. I spoke earlier about the business of having a brief. In my view, the brief was to flush out the business of what I shall call the charitable sector as a whole and alternative government funding. The Minister is absolutely right about the meaning of charitable expenditure. I take the view that, with the assurances, Clause 19 as it stands is bang-on right. What he has said, and what is important, is that any applicant to the Big Lottery Fund can go along and say, ““I haven’t had time. I haven’t got my registration. I don’t feel I need a registration. But what I want to do and what I want the money for is so clearly a charitable purpose””. That is what is important and I am delighted that the Minister has said it. I am delighted that the lottery fund will not say, as some charities do, ““You are not a registered charity, therefore we cannot entertain you””. Of course they can entertain them but they choose not to. I am delighted that it is clear and on the record that someone with expenditure for a charitable purpose can be within the purview of the Big Lottery Fund. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 56 not moved.] Clause 19 agreed to.