Posted on 22nd September 2011
The Office for Civil Society has issued a consultation paper proposing new policy directions for the Big Lottery Fund, sparking fears that lottery money might be redirected to government projects rather than be used for 'additional' projects as originally stated.
The paper proposes: “The development of programmes and funding of projects should complement and add value to the plans of action and activity of other funders and parties working towards the fund’s goals, including government funding.”
Policy responsibility for the Big Lottery Fund has transferred from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the Office for Civil Society in the Cabinet Office.The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude said: "Too many long and unwieldy restrictions govern how the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) hands out money, inhibiting their ability to do their job properly.”
The new policy directions also state that lottery funding should “operate within the distinctive context of policy, government and civil society action adding value in appropriate ways to the aim of creating a fairer, freer and more responsible society”.
Directory of Social Change head of policy, Jay Kennedy, says: "We are concerned about a couple of areas - there seems to be a watering down of the principality of additionality. It is an important point for us to make sure Lottery Funding is distinct from government funding. These new directions could make it complicated, vague and messy, especially in the light of public service cuts."
Kennedy is also worried about Lottery money being used to build the social investment market. "This sounds like the government telling the lottery what to do and building the social investment market should be the role of Big Society Capital."
The Arts Council’s director of media relations, Louise Wiley, said: “The Arts Council’s position with respect to the additionality principle is unchanged – it is an important distinction in the way National Lottery funds are used as opposed to Grant in aid from government and one we are mindful of (for example, when we deploy Lottery funding alongside Grant in aid in our new National Portfolio of arts organisations).”
The Arts Council is preparing its response to the new proposals but say its own policy on additionality states: “We have, and will continue to use Lottery funding to fund specific, time-limited activity that would not take place without the support of the Lottery.”
The consultation asks two questions:
- Is there anything set out in these directions that the Big Lottery Fund should not be doing? If your answer is yes, please tell us what it is and why they shouldn’t be doing it.
- Is there anything the Big Lottery Fund should be doing in addition to these directions? If your answer is yes, please tell us what they should be doing and why.
Responses to the consultation are limited to 400 words and have to be submitted by 18 November.
