To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the balance is of the Big Lottery Fund; and how much of the balance is (a) committed and (b) uncommitted. (156927)

The Big Lottery Fund’s National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) balance at 30 September 2007 was approximately £550 million.

At 30 September its outstanding ‘hard’ commitments were £1,060 million and its ‘soft’ commitments were £94 million. Its total forward commitments, therefore, exceeded its NLDF balance by about £604 million.