SNP steps up drive for £150m lottery cash

Published on Saturday 27 September 2008 19:55

THE SNP is stepping up its fight for the UK Government to release millions of pounds of lottery cash to create a legacy for Glasgow's Commonwealth Games after MSPs unanimously backed the plans last week.

Sports minister Stewart Maxwell is to increase the pressure by writing to Secretary of State for Sport Andy Burnham, pointing out that the entire Scottish Parliament believes the funds should be released.

The move follows Scotland on Sunday's Fair Deal for Glasgow campaign, which is urging the UK Government to offer lottery funding for a proper legacy following the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Funding for the Games is secure, but sports administrators say that a substantial sum of lottery cash is needed to pay for coaching for elite athletes and a revamp of grassroots sporting facilities. The campaign comes against a backdrop of a cut in lottery cash for Scottish causes because of the enormous cost of the London 2012 Olympics.

A paper by the Big Lottery Fund published last week found that the five top lottery distributors in Scotland – itself, the Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland, the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen - were together losing 116m because of the diversion of cash to the Olympics. Across the UK, more than 1bn is being taken away from other good causes to help pay for the Olympics.

While MSPs and sports administrators all say they want the London event to be a success, they argue that the Glasgow Games should also be given top priority. The Games are being entirely funded through taxpayers' cash in Scotland.

The Scottish Government will make a formal approach to the UK Government for 150m funding this week. A spokesman said: "Last week's debate on the 150m of lottery funds diverted from Scottish good causes towards the London Olympics united MSPs and parties across the Scottish Parliament."

On top of the reduction in lottery funding, Scottish officials say that overall lottery receipts are being cut because of a specific Olympic scratchcard. The card is expected to raise 750m between now and 2012, which will only be available for spending on the Olympics.

There are now calls for a Glasgow Commonwealth Games scratchcard to be created across the UK as well. Campaigners say Glasgow could adopt the scratchcard in 2012, 2013 and 2014, after the Olympics are over.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: "The UK Government has made it clear that income from those Games will revert to general good causes after 2012. That money could be a potential future funding stream for Glasgow 2014."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said that the idea of a Glasgow scratchcard seemed a "a sensible and straightforward option".