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12 July 2006
National Lottery Bill Becomes Law
The National Lottery Bill received Royal Assent on Monday 11 July.
The National Lottery Act 2006 reforms National Lottery distribution, making it easier for distributors to involve the public and ensuring that Lottery money goes efficiently to good causes. It also establishes the Big Lottery Fund as a new good cause distributor with simpler rules making it easier for applicants to access Lottery money.
Key changes introduced by the Act include:
- Establishing the Big Lottery Fund as a single body replacing the Community Fund, the New Opportunities Fund and the Millennium Commission. The resulting in a £6-12 million efficiency saving that will be available as additional Lottery funding for good causes.
- Increased public involvement in the Lottery with distributors able to consult and take account of public views in making distribution decisions.
- Measures to ensure that the licensing and regulation of the Lottery continues to maximise the returns to good causes.
The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell said:
"The National Lottery has raised over £18.5 billion in good causes in the past twelve years providing funding for more than 240,000 projects across the country. It's hard to imagine what Britain would be like without iconic institutions like The Eden Project in Cornwall or the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
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"The Act helps to bring the Lottery closer to players and the communities the Lottery supports. More than 70 per cent of adults regularly play the Lottery and I am delighted that they will now have greater opportunity to get involved and contribute to decisions about how good cause money is spent."
Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport, said:
"This Act takes the Lottery into the next generation helping it become even bigger and better than before. We want people to keep on playing the Lottery and continue the revolution of people and places that we have already seen across the country through the massive investment it has brought.
"These changes to the lottery licensing and regulation framework will help see the continued success of the Lottery, ensuring that it is well run and excites players for years to come."
Notes to Editors
- A copy of the Act is available at www.opsi.gov.uk/acts
- The Big Lottery Fund was launched on 1 June 2004, following an administrative merger between The New Opportunities Fund and The Community Fund. Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out half the money for good causes raised by the National Lottery for projects covering health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
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