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Dewar welcomes £100 million lottery cash for Scotland
27/04/1998
Scotland will receive more than £100 million of Lottery cash from the New Opportunities Fund, to improve Scotland's health and education.
Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar welcomed the announcement that the cash will be spent on out of hours school clubs, childcare facilities, healthy living centres and improved information technology for teachers and librarians. The money has been made available from the New Opportunities Fund, the lottery's sixth good cause and was announced as part of the preliminary draft on the policy of the fund by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Mr Dewar said:
"This extra £106.1 million will give an extra boost to our priorities of improving education standards, childcare and the health of the Scottish people. Extra training for teachers and librarians will benefit our schools. Out of hours school clubs and additional child care facilities will help children and parents alike. The healthy living centres will enable people to get the best advice on diet and exercise.
"These initiatives will help us to develop the sort of inclusive, confident, and caring communities we all seek.
"The Directions are of course subject to further refinement and consultation with the Board of the New Opportunities Fund when it is established. I will ensure that Scotland's interests are taken into account as thinking develops."
BACKGROUND
1. Currently five good causes benefit from National Lottery proceeds: arts, sport, heritage, charities and projects to mark the beginning of the new Millennium. The National Lottery Bill, currently before Parliament will see the introduction of the New Opportunities Fund which is intended will fund a range of innovative, time limited initiatives in health, education and environment.
2. The policy directions will guide the work of the New Opportunities Fund, in delivering the objectives of the three initiatives set out in the White Paper The People's Lottery - health, education and the environment. This set up a framework for the New Opportunities Fund as an efficient, accountable and independent public body; and require the Fund to take account of government policies and strategies relevant to its work.
3. The announcement about the publication of the draft Policy Directions, and the territorial split of initiatives, was made by the Secretary of State for National Heritage in response to a Parliamentary Question in the House of Commons today.
4. Current estimates of allocations in cash terms over the next five years are:
Healthy living centres: £34.5 million
Information and Communication Technology training for teachers and librarians: £25.6 million
Out of school hours activities: £46 million (of which childcare is £25.3 million)
News Release: 0846/98
April 27, 1998