Commentary on Sections Part 3: National Lottery: Olympic Lotteries Section 25: Payments into Fund from National Lottery Distribution Fund
73.This section enables the Secretary of State to make an order permitting her to make payments from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) to the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund (OLDF). Such an order pursuant to section 36(4) shall not be made unless a draft has been laid before and been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.
74.Subsection (2) provides that any payment made from the NLDF to the OLDF in accordance with subsection (1) shall be treated as if paid out of money allocated for good causes as provided in section 22(3) of the 1993 National Lottery Act. Further, subsection (2) also permits the Secretary of State to specify by order the proportions of that money that should be treated as coming from each of the good causes (arts, sport, heritage, charities and health, education and the environment). Subsection (3) requires consultation with the existing good causes prior to the making of such an order.
75.An order under this section would be made only in exceptional circumstances. For example, in the event that the Olympic Lottery Distributor needed to make a grant or loan but had not received sufficient funds from the OLDF, and where the OLDF could not provide those funds.