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 assessment he has made of the decision to ban the whip in horseracing in Norway; and whether there are plans to introduce such a prohibition in the UK.
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, and irresponsible use of the whip is completely unacceptable. The British Horseracing Association (BHA) requires that whips be used responsibly and jockeys may only use the whip within certain strict rules. The BHA policy on the whip was drawn up in consultation with animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare. The latest rules include a threshold on the number of times the whip is used before racing stewards can consider an enquiry. If the rules are broken, the jockey may be banned from racing for a certain number of days depending on the seriousness of the offence. Defra is satisfied that the rules in place are sufficient to restrict and limit the use of the whip in horse racing.
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 steps the Government plans to take to reduce the number of breaches of the whip regulations in British horse racing.
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, and irresponsible use of the whip is completely unacceptable. The British Horseracing Association (BHA) requires that whips be used responsibly and jockeys may only use the whip within certain strict rules. The BHA policy on the whip was drawn up in consultation with animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare. The latest rules include a threshold on the number of times the whip is used before racing stewards can consider an enquiry. If the rules are broken, the jockey may be banned from racing for a certain number of days depending on the seriousness of the offence. Defra is satisfied that the rules in place are sufficient to restrict and limit the use of the whip in horse racing.
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, if he will make an assessment of what factors are behind an increase in the use of the whip in British horseracing.
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, and irresponsible use of the whip is completely unacceptable. The British Horseracing Association (BHA) requires that whips be used responsibly and jockeys may only use the whip within certain strict rules. The BHA policy on the whip was drawn up in consultation with animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare. The latest rules include a threshold on the number of times the whip is used before racing stewards can consider an enquiry. If the rules are broken, the jockey may be banned from racing for a certain number of days depending on the seriousness of the offence. Defra is satisfied that the rules in place are sufficient to restrict and limit the use of the whip in horse racing.
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.