Neath Not Getting Fair Share of Lottery Funding

Plaid AM Says Neath & Swansea Deserve More

Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West, Dr Dai Lloyd has called on Welsh Government to hold talks with the UK Government and the National Lottery to ensure funding is shared equally across the whole of the UK and not just concentrated in London. Dr Lloyd raised the issue of lottery funding with Rebecca Evans AM in his Business Statement on Tuesday 22nd January. During his address Dr Lloyd stated;

“Three areas of London have received more National Lottery funding than any other part of the UK over the past 20 years. Westminster, Holborn and St Pancras & Islington South have received more than £1.8 billion, a rate of £4,640 per capita. This is more than 10 times as much as has been received by Wales in the same period.”

Figures released by the National Lottery show that constituencies across South Wales have not received the levels of funding seen elsewhere across the UK. Since 1999 Neath has seen National Lottery investment to the tune of £19,652,982, less than £340 per head, which is even below the Welsh average of £450. Speaking in relation to the funding gap between Westminster and Wales, Dr Lloyd said;

“How is it that some of the wealthiest parts of Europe in places such as central London receive over 10 times as much Lottery funding as towns in need of a helping hand such as Neath? Swansea East receives even less than Neath, having received £226 per capita since 1999. This inequality between Westminster and Wales, and in this case, Westminster and Neath and Swansea clearly is not fair and I have asked Welsh Government what actions they have taken to address these inequalities.”