Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to compel the British Horseracing Authority to publish the names and details of all horses killed in racing and in training; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra is keen to ensure that we uphold our high standards of welfare including in relation to horseracing. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are responsible for racehorse and rider safety at British racetracks and produce annual statistics on the numbers of equine fatalities at such racetracks. The BHA also work in collaboration with the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make racetracks as safe as possible. The Government and the BHA accept that more should be done to reduce the number of racehorse fatalities on our racetracks and I am in active discussions with the BHA about how to achieve that aim and make horseracing safer.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to require the British Horseracing Authority to publish the names and details of all horses killed in racing and in training.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra is keen to ensure that we uphold our high standards of welfare including in relation to horseracing. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are responsible for racehorse and rider safety at British racetracks and produce annual statistics on the numbers of equine fatalities at such racetracks. The BHA also work in collaboration with the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make racetracks as safe as possible. The Government and the BHA accept that more should be done to reduce the number of racehorse fatalities on our racetracks and I am in active discussions with the BHA about how to achieve that aim and make horseracing safer.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 20 July 2017, HC Deb col 627, if he will ensure that Article 13 is carried over into UK law.
Answered by George Eustice
The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will convert the existing body of direct EU animal welfare laws to become UK laws. Most of these EU laws relate to farmed animals and many were passed after Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) came into effect.
Article 13 of the TFEU created a qualified obligation on the EU and EU Member States “to have full regard to the welfare of animals [as they are sentient beings]” when formulating and implementing certain EU laws.
We are exploring how the ‘animal sentience’ principle of Article 13 can continue to be reflected in the UK when we leave the EU. The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and our ambition is not only to maintain but enhance these standards.