Lottery to fund sport

Millions of pounds from the National Lottery will be poured into the regeneration of team and competitive sports, from school level to support for elite athletes, under government plans being finalised under the personal supervision of John Major, writesPatricia Wynn Davies.

The proposals, to be published this spring, are aimed at boosting grass-roots sport and more advanced training, while introducing reform of Britain's sporting bodies. A new focus on youth and sporting excellence will be funded to a significant extent by the £1.8bn of lottery cash that will become available over the next seven years.

The Sports Council for Great Britain will be reformed into a council for England, in line with equivalent bodies for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and a new UK Sports Commission will co-ordinate their activities. n