Question NW1138 to the Minister of Trade and Industry
25 April 2018 - NW1138
Macpherson, Mr DW to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry
(a) Why has the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) failed to allocate funding towards animal welfare groups, specifically the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for the past two financial years, (b) What are the detailed reasons and rationale behind this decision and (c) What plans does his department have in place to assist animal welfare organisations, as these groups rely solely on funding from the NLC and the public in order to provide free services and assistance in poor communities?
Reply:
a) The National Lotteries Commission annually publishes priority areas to ensure more focused funding and maximum impact of the funds allocated. Priority areas are published yearly and available on the NLC’s website. There is continuous work done to ensure that beneficiaries are aware of priority areas and the NLC holds regular Indabas and Post Indaba Stakeholder Engagements with its beneficiaries to ensure that they are aware and actually contribute to the decisions of this nature.
b) Due to the limitation of funds and the increasing demand for assistance by non-profit originations, the NLC’s funding is aligned to the published priority areas to ensure more focused funding and maximum impact on funding allocated. The result is therefore that some funding areas get affected by this categorization.
c) The NLC held a meeting with NSPCA and fully explained the position relating to priority areas. A budget has been ring-fenced from the miscellaneous category of funding for the national body to apply on behalf of its branches.