The Conservatives' proposal that people who buy lottery tickets should determine where the profits go will strike a chord in the hearts of many voters.

There has been a tide of public frustration at the squandering of Lottery grants on a multitude of bad causes, from the Millennium Dome to the dubious National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns. The lottery has also given money to some very good causes, such as the restoration of the Royal Opera House, albeit against the grain of public sentiment.

One of the purposes of the lottery is to ensure that cultural and community projects which would not otherwise attract funding are able to thrive. The average Lottery player cannot be expected to weigh up all the choices and consequences.

The Culture Department must set more reliable rules to ensure that money is not misappropriated by political causes which do not serve the broader interest. Mr Duncan Smith is addressing a reasonable question. He has not found an enlightened answer.

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