Cultural Olympiad Threatened By Lottery Diversion

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Liberal Democrat Culture and Heritage Spokesman Paul Holmes MP asked the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport:

"What assessment has her department made of the impact of the cost increases for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on lottery good causes funding for heritage?

There is enormous concern about lottery funding cuts due to Olympic costs overruns among groups such as Heritage Link, the Voluntary Arts Network, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Central Council for Physical Recreation.

How can there be a Cultural Olympiad and how can there be a boom in grassroots sport when the funding stream is slashed in this way?

Can the Minister guarantee that there will be no further cuts in heritage funding? And will the Minister guarantee a favourable funding settlement in the Comprehensive Spending Review to compensate the heritage sector for these cuts in lottery funding?"

Speaking afterwards Paul Holmes MP added:

"The Heritage Lottery Fund stands to lose an additional £90 million on top of the funding already diverted to the Olympics. This is the equivalent of 5 years of funding for parks, 1400 schemes for historic churches and town centres, or 6000 small community and voluntary sector grants.

These funding cuts follow the cuts to English Heritage funding of £9.7 million in real terms since the year 2000.

If the 2012 London Olympics is to be a success and to leave a tourism legacy the nation's heritage must be allowed to act as a showcase for the country, not undermined by repeated funding cuts."