Big Lottery Fund (Prescribed Expenditure) Order 2006

My Lords, the order gives us the opportunity to express a few views. As I understand it, although the gun has been jumped with the 1 December start date, the order sets out what the Big Lottery Fund can do. I was thinking as I read, "““charitable or connected with health, education or the environment””," that, when we see the word ““charitable”” now, we mean charitable as set out in the Charities Act 2006, which we passed a few days ago. Although I do not think that what is charitable has changed much, if at all, it is clearer what charitable means to anyone who could not think as widely as they might have done when hearing the phrase, ““other purposes beneficial to the community””. For a regionalist like me, it is strange to see England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man set out as the regions under ““Devolved expenditure””, and that the regions of England do not count. The Minister will well recall amendments that I have offered on several occasions. However, among the suggestions for the way forward, which include, "““the promotion of community learning””," and, "““the promotion of community safety and cohesion””," I am attracted to the phrase, "““the promotion of physical and mental well being””," in that potential applicants who see that phrase may well be able to achieve it. Whether their grant application will be agreed to is another matter, but that can certainly cover a huge amount of what voluntary and community organisations want to do. Under ““Non-devolved expenditure: transformational grants””, it is interesting to note: "““The description of expenditure is expenditure on or connected with projects which are intended to transform communities, regions or the nation as a whole””." I find it strange that transforming the regions is an aim. Yet there is no regional base to the Big Lottery Fund. I am very concerned about Mr Big being London-centric. Therefore, I have heard the comments about consultation on this order. Here we are in the late days of November and this order starts on 1 December. I give the Minister the opportunity to indicate what the Big Lottery will do to see that it is fair to the regions and the applicants who come from the regions of England. It should not be just a matter of people saying ““The headquarters are in London, so we’ll say okay, but we do not know anything about these fuddy-duddy people in the provinces””. We need to be certain that this is the case. I find it very strange—as I did at the time—that the regions are not to be catered for in the way that I thought they ought to be and as they have been previously. But that is in the past. However, it is important to see that regional dimension in the grant-making.