 |
answer text |
<p>The Government is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both
during their racing lives and afterwards. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA)
is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses and the BHA works
alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.
However, both I and the BHA consider that more can be done to make horseracing safer
which is why I have been holding regular discussions with the BHA about this. Most
recently on 14 May, I met with the BHA as well as the new independent Chair of the
BHA’s newly appointed Horse Welfare Board. This was a constructive meeting where the
number of fatalities of racehorses was acknowledged, and both sides agreed that further
action is required to tackle avoidable harm and make the sport safer.</p><p> </p><p>The
Board committed to doing all it can to improve welfare outcomes. I stressed the need
for the BHA to develop a robust action plan that will deliver tangible results and
intend to stay in regular contact with the industry to continue to press for improvements
in racehorse welfare.</p><p> </p><p>The number of racehorse fatalities at UK race
tracks is published annually by the British Horseracing Authority. The latest available
figures are for 2018 and were published on 29 January, which can be found at <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/making-horseracing-safer/"
target="_blank">https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/making-horseracing-safer/</a>.</p><p>The
Government does not hold any data for 2019.</p>
|
|
