Letter: Films that serve the public good

From Mr Jeremy Newton

Sir: The notion of "public good" being in opposition to commercial success, put forward in David Lister's article on lottery support for films (6 April), is incorrect. Indeed, many commercial films do serve the public good by virtue of their high artistic quality or by their capacity to raise significant social issues.

We would be only too happy to contribute lottery money to the funding of such productions.The need for lottery-funded projects to be for the "public good" and to involve disabled people is not a matter of our own political correctness, as David Lister suggests. These are directions issued by the Secretary of State for National Heritage which we are not entitled to ignore - nor would we wish to.

Yours faithfully,

JEREMY NEWTON

National Lottery Director

The Arts Council of

England

London, SW1

6 April