Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of the increase in the annual sales limit for society lotteries from £10 million to £50 million on money returned to good causes.
Answered by Damian Collins
The annual sales limit for society lotteries was increased from £10 million to £50 million in July 2020.
We published a review of the impact of these and other changes to society lottery sales and prize limits in March 2022 (link). Early indicators are positive, for example the increase in the annual sales limit has allowed some multiple licensed operators who previously had annual sales in excess of £10 million, to take advantage of the new limit to restructure and become single licence holders, and use the cost savings in doing so to increase good cause returns. The review concluded that it is too soon to reach any firm view on the impact of the changes, especially during a time that the effect of the Covid pandemic made any evaluation more difficult, given changes in consumer behaviour over this period which may have had a distorting effect. We want to see more data on annual growth of the sector to fully measure their impact. Since the review, the Gambling Commission has published further data which shows that the large society lottery sector is continuing to grow.
The Gambling Commission does not collect data on the location of beneficiaries of grant funding. Society lotteries are a helpful way of permitting non-commercial societies to fundraise for good causes. Funds raised by society lotteries are distributed within the stated purposes of that society, and it is for each operator to determine where the money raised is distributed. Larger lotteries may support local, national or international charities, but many others exist solely to support their own work, such as hospice lotteries.
Legislation regarding society lotteries in Northern Ireland is determined by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK sanctions relating to Russia on the Gambling Commission's decision to award Allwyn Entertainment as the preferred operator to run the National Lottery from 2024; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The competition to award the licence to operate the 4th National Lottery licence (4NL) is run by the Gambling Commission. The National Lottery Act 1993 stipulates that the Commission can only grant a licence to operate the National Lottery if it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is a fit and proper person. In this context, the Commission carried out appropriate vetting checks on all the applicants to the 4NL competition and is now carrying out further vetting checks on Allwyn as the Commission’s preferred applicant to operate 4NL. The Commission does not have any plans at present to list the names of those individuals subject to vetting checks.
The Gambling Commission has taken steps to assure itself that no applicant to the 4NL competition is or is likely to be impacted by the sanctioning of entities and individuals listed in the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2022 to Question 147120, if she will publish the names of the Qualifying Direct Shareholders at Allwyn who are currently undergoing BPSS checks.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The competition to award the licence to operate the 4th National Lottery licence (4NL) is run by the Gambling Commission. The National Lottery Act 1993 stipulates that the Commission can only grant a licence to operate the National Lottery if it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is a fit and proper person. In this context, the Commission carried out appropriate vetting checks on all the applicants to the 4NL competition and is now carrying out further vetting checks on Allwyn as the Commission’s preferred applicant to operate 4NL. The Commission does not have any plans at present to list the names of those individuals subject to vetting checks.
The Gambling Commission has taken steps to assure itself that no applicant to the 4NL competition is or is likely to be impacted by the sanctioning of entities and individuals listed in the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many unsuccessful applications for funding for grassroots football facilities her Department received from football clubs in Wales.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria her Department used when determining the recent allocation of funding for grassroots football facilities in Wales.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s recent investment in 17 grassroots football facilities in Wales, what steps were taken to consult with the relevant Minister in Welsh Government on the allocation of this funding.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the geographical spread of successful applications for the recently announced UK Government funding for grassroots football facilities in Wales.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the (a) dates, (b) meeting minutes and (c) attendees of all meetings that Ministers and officials in her Department have attended in the last 12 months with the preferred National Lottery provider, Allwyn.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
DCMS offered official-level meetings to all final-stage applicants to the 4th National Lottery licence competition to give an overview of the government's vision for the Gambling and National Lottery sectors. On 23 November 2020, DCMS's Director for Sport, Gambling and Ceremonials and Deputy Director for Gambling and Lotteries met representatives of Sazka (now Allwyn Entertainment Ltd). Ministers did not meet with Allwyn in respect of the competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Gambling Commission took to vet national lottery license applicants during the national lottery license application process, including whether they communicated with and sought assurances from UK and other financial regulators, and UK and other security and police services.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.
We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.
It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.
Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what date the provisional new organisation to take over the National Lottery, Allwyn, will begin the UK secure vetting process; how long that process will take; and whether that process includes discussions with UK and foreign security and police services.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.
We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.
It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.
Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.