News story

National Lottery to be reformed

Returning to original good causes will boost income by £150 million.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced today that the National Lottery will be reformed, bringing an extra £50 million each to arts, sport and heritage.

“The National Lottery was created in 1994 and, since that time, around £25 billion has been raised for good causes,” said Mr Hunt. “But the founding vision - that it should primarily benefit the arts, sport and heritage with funding for projects that would not otherwise get off the ground - got lost along the way.  Today I am putting that right.”

A Statutory Instrument, laid before Parliament today, means that from 2012 the original good causes will once again receive the 20 per cent share of the total, the same as in 1994.

Voluntary and community sector benefits

Mr Hunt also pledged that funding for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) - key players in the Government’s plans to create a Big Society - will be protected.  It should rise from current levels of £564 million a year in 2009 to more than £630 million a year by 2013, when the Olympic transfer comes to an end.  In Many cases the greater shares going to the arts, sport and heritage will also directly benefit the VCS sector.

Further information

Published 20 October 2010