Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Graham Excerpts

Thursday 5th September 2013 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was asked—

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

1. What recent estimate she has made of the amount of money spent by the national lottery on good causes.

[The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Hugh Robertson)]

Approximately £30 billion has been raised for good causes since John Major’s Government introduced the national lottery in 1994.

[Richard Graham]

I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. Many people across the country will not necessarily know that the huge increase in Sport England funding for sports facilities through the Inspired Facilities fund was generated by the change this Government made to the lottery funding, and I am very grateful for it. Last week, he saw, with me, the huge improvements made at our newly regenerated Gloucester athletics track and the case prepared by the Gloucester rowing club to make to Sport England. Does he agree that both those things will represent a fantastic Olympic legacy for my city?

[Hugh Robertson]

Yes, I do. One of the best things we have done is to raise the amount of money sport receives through the national lottery, from 13.7% when we came to power to 20% now. That has allowed improvements such as the ones my hon. Friend has detailed, and I congratulate him on his leadership in his constituency and the great work being done by volunteers in all those clubs.