Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from the Horserace Betting Levy Board on the (a) value of, (b) timeframe for applications to and (c) transparency of the Racing Relief Fund.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Following the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) decision to suspend racing on 18 March 2020, DCMS officials have been in regular discussions with the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) regarding support to British racing during the coronavirus outbreak.
These discussions did not focus on the details of the Racing Relief Fund, which is an industry-led initiative led by the Racehorse Owners Association, with support from the Racing Foundation, in which the HBLB has no administrative or financial role.
The £2.5 million fund was announced as part of the HBLB and Racing Foundation’s £28 million cashflow and support package announced on 17 April. This support package was developed collaboratively and it was agreed that the HBLB would focus on support for racecourses and the Racing Foundation on support for participants, both human and equine.
The Racing Relief Fund is designed to meet the welfare needs of horses whose owners are suffering financial hardship. The scheme will provide up to £2.5 million of grants to assist with the costs of looking after horses in racing stables and in rehoming centres.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on how many occasions has (a) he, (b) officials from his Department and (c) other Government representatives have met the British Horseracing Authority to hold discussions on (i) race horse welfare during the covid-19 outbreak and (ii) the financial effect of covid-19 on the ability of race horse owners to ensure the welfare of those horses.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Following the suspension of racing on 18 March 2020, DEFRA, which leads on horse welfare, worked with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on a weekly basis to quickly agree guidance for the care of racehorses during this lockdown period in line with social distancing.
DCMS officials have also been in regular communication with the BHA and the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) regarding the economic impacts of Covid on the industry and the measures being taken to uphold horse welfare. The BHA has also taken part in regular calls with the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage and representatives of the sporting sector on these issues and the resumption of racing and other sports behind closed doors.
The government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, which includes the racing industry, given the acute impacts of COVID-19 on those sectors. A range of measures to support all businesses were made available, including business rates relief, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme. The government has provided access to £10k grants to 700,000 small and medium enterprises who are currently eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief.
On 17 April, the HBLB and Racing Foundation agreed an immediate £22 million cash flow and hardship funding package to support racing. The HBLB has reported on these packages on a weekly basis with the main racing bodies including the BHA.