SNP call for Scots-only lotto draw
A CAMPAIGN for a Scotland-only National Lottery stepped up yesterday amid fears the rising cost of the 2012 Olympics is reducing the share of charity funding north of the Border.
Politicians are concerned Scotland is not seeing a fair slice of the money given to good causes by Camelot.
Recent estimates suggest the voluntary sector has lost about £150million-worth of grants from the National Lottery because money is being diverted to fund the Olympics.
Now there are fears further cuts could place the future of many small organisations in jeopardy.
Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame has lodged a motion at Holyrood calling for the creation of a Scottish lotto, although the Westminster Parliament has control of the running of lotteries.
She said a new game modelled on the Irish lottery, run by the Government, could raise as much as £200million a year for good causes.
Ms Grahame said yesterday: “It would prevent the effective robbing of desperately needed money from Scottish good causes and ensure that money raised in Scotland stays in Scotland.”
Officials at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations admitted they have “concerns about the lottery being run as a national UK operation” but stopped short of calling for a Scotland-only draw.
Policy officer Peter McColl said: “We are not asking for a Scottish Lottery but would like to see the top slicing of funds for UK projects to stop.
“Often they affect just one part of the country. We want Scottish ministers to be able to determine how the money can be spent.”
Labour peer and MSP George Foulkes tabled a counter-motion saying it was “disappointing” a Nationalist “would rather express anti-English sentiment” than work to capitalise on the benefits the Olympics could bring.
