Now is the time for reform

Charity leaders and parliamentarians are calling on the government to speed up progress towards the implementation of new laws on charity lotteries - to ensure good causes benefit from the change as quickly as possible.

The call comes following the UK government’s announcement in July that it planned to raise the charity lottery sales limit from £10 million to £50 million. The move will reduce bureaucracy and allow more money to be raised for good causes.

Speaking today at an event organised by People’s Postcode Lottery at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, Vanessa Griffiths of The Ramblers, alongside Baroness Delyth Morgan of Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now, urged ministers to stick to the 1 January 2020 implementation date -- a timeframe confirmed by the Government in July.

Two Labour parliamentarians, Carolyn Harris MP and Neil Findlay MSP, also backed a quick implementation of the new law to prevent more charities losing out.

People’s Postcode Lottery is concerned that despite the government’s announcement, it could be well into 2020 before the law is finally changed. This would mean local charity funding continued to be adversely affected by the bureaucracy required by the current law.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive of Breast Cancer Now and Breast Cancer Care, said: “Getting the limits raised was the first step in bringing about real change to Britain’s charity lottery sector – an important campaign that we fully supported. We now want to see this change implemented on 1 January 2020, in line with the government’s timeline as confirmed in July.”

Vanessa Griffiths, Chief Executive of The Ramblers, said: “We benefit from funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, so I know at first-hand the difference this money makes to a charity. Putting the £50 million charity lottery limit in place, and doing it sooner rather than later, will maximise available funding for charities and good causes across Britain.”

Carolyn Harris MP, Labour Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities added: “This issue has already been subject to a huge amount of consultation, during which the charity lottery sector has been amazingly patient, however I share their frustration over the impact on charities of the announced changes being contingent on yet more consultation. The Government just need to get on with this.”

Head of Public Affairs at People’s Postcode Lottery, Malcolm Fleming, added: “Securing the £50 million limit earlier this year was a highly significant milestone, with the former minister indicating these changes would be implemented in early 2020.

“We appreciate there has been a reshuffle within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, but we’re urging the newly appointed Secretary of State, Nicky Morgan MP, and the new Minister responsible for lotteries, Helen Whately MP, to honour this commitment as soon as possible.”