To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate his Department has made of the expenditure on administration of each of the National Lottery distributors in the latest period for which figures are available; and what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce such costs. (316729)

Lottery distributors' administration costs can be found in their annual reports and accounts. These costs are not comparable, however, as administration costs vary considerably depending on the type and size of grant given and the amounts that applicants receive.

My Department has encouraged the national lottery distributors to keep their administration costs as low as possible and to share best practice.

As part of the Operational Efficiency Programme the lottery distributors are working closely with my Department to identify savings through greater collaboration in back-office functions.