Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the promotion of merchant ship recycling facilities in the UK to the international shipping industry after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
There have been no discussions with Cabinet colleagues about the promotion of merchant ship recycling facilities in the UK to the international shipping industry after the UK leaves the EU.
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 require the British Horseracing Authority to record the numbers of horses that leave horseracing each year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards. I am in active discussion with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on a range of issues relating to improving the welfare of horses in the industry, including the BHA’s programme of work on the traceability of thoroughbreds post-racing. The BHA works closely with the thoroughbred passport issuing office to record details on animal movement and career outcomes. This data includes broodmare and stallion registrations, and export certificates, to form a picture of post-racing careers. A project within the programme involves the creation of a database to track animal movements throughout their careers, including the movement out of racing, whether that be as a leisure horse, breeding horse, or otherwise. This work will continue in 2019 with the aim of producing a digital model of thoroughbred movements.
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 hold discussions with representatives of the British Horseracing Authority on the compilation of information on horses that are sent (a) for breeding, (b) abroad and (c) slaughter after the finish racing.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards. I am in active discussion with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on a range of issues relating to improving the welfare of horses in the industry, including the BHA’s programme of work on the traceability of thoroughbreds post-racing. The BHA works closely with the thoroughbred passport issuing office to record details on animal movement and career outcomes. This data includes broodmare and stallion registrations, and export certificates, to form a picture of post-racing careers. A project within the programme involves the creation of a database to track animal movements throughout their careers, including the movement out of racing, whether that be as a leisure horse, breeding horse, or otherwise. This work will continue in 2019 with the aim of producing a digital model of thoroughbred movements.
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 he plans to prohibit the use of the whip in horseracing 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 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.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Adoption Support Fund, how many claims have been received on behalf of previously looked after children now on special guardianship orders; how many of those claims have been successful (a) in total and (b) by local authority area; and what the average amount awarded was (i) in total and (ii) by local authority area.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Between the period 1 April 2016 to 25 September 2018[1], there were 1,929 applications submitted on behalf of previously looked after children now living in special guardianship arrangements, of which 1,767 were successful; 12 were unsuccessful; 92 are currently being processed; and 58 were withdrawn. The total average amount awarded was £2,950.
Local authority area information can be found in the attached table.[2]
[1] The Adoption Support Fund was extended to previously looked after children now living in special guardianship arrangements on 1 April 2016.
[2] All amounts have been rounded to the nearest pound.