TONY Blair has rejected a claim by Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans that war veterans and other groups helping the elderly are losing out on Lotto cash.

The Tory confronted the Prime Minister during Commons Question Time.

He highlighted what he claimed were low levels of grants to veterans' groups by the National Lottery's Community Fund and asked Mr Blair: "Will you look again at the guidelines given to the national lottery award-giving body, the community fund, so that those organisations that care for groups such as war veterans and the elderly get their fair share of money?

"Those are the most vulnerable people in our society and they gave so much to our country. It is about time we repaid their service to Britain, rather than giving to some of the politically correct organisations which seem to be getting large sums of money."

Mr Blair replied: "I think that you would want to acknowledge that the community fund has given an awful lot of money to veterans' organisations and others.

"There is a simple choice: either we can have a body that objectively gives that money out to groups or we can do it by involving politicians. I think it is better that it is done objectively through the community fund."