BILLIONS of pounds of lottery cash that could be given to good causes is instead lying idle in the bank.



The huge sum has accumulated because distributors such as the Heritage Lottery Fund are "too timid" when handing out the grants, it has been claimed.



Among the projects that needs the money is Manchester's Victoria Baths, which is still waiting for £3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund two years after winning the award.



The Edwardian gem was awarded the grant after winning the BBC2 show Restoration in 2003.



Now MPs on the powerful Commons Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) are calling on the government to release the money to deserving causes.



Chairman Edward Leigh said: "There is no shortage of high-quality projects, but the enormous sum was stuck in limbo in May of this year - in part because the distributors are too timid to apply their own policies."



Complex

Proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets, £15bn since 1994, are held in the Fund until required to make payments.



The committee said that instead of being swiftly distributed to worthy causes, money was often held in case it was needed for future, unidentified projects.



This was despite the fact that balances were constantly replenished through ticket sales.



The Heritage Lottery Fund says restoration projects in particular take a long time and the money has to stay in the bank until it is ready to be spent.



Carole Souter, director of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "Every penny belongs to real projects, we cannot spend that money twice.



"Victoria Baths is a good example of a large and complex capital project which will take a long time to complete.



"The £3m that has recently been awarded by HLF will be drawn down once the necessary tendering process for agreed works has taken place.



"Meanwhile, that £3m remains safely in the bank until the project is ready to spend it."