Oral Answers to Questions

Nick Timothy Excerpts

Thursday 22nd May 2025 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) (Con)]

1. If she will produce an impact assessment for the proposed remote betting and gaming duty on the British horseracing industry.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Secretary of State is in Japan for the world expo conference in Osaka, strengthening UK-Japan relations. I know that she has written to you, Mr Speaker, to explain her absence.

The Government recognise the significant contribution that horseracing makes to the British economy. In that spirit, I pay tribute to Rachael Blackmore. She has had a fantastic impact on the sport and has enjoyed enormous success, and I wish her well with her retirement. His Majesty’s Treasury leads on the consultation on the tax treatment of remote gambling. The consultation is open till 21 July, and any impact assessment of any legislative changes will be a matter for that Department.

[Nick Timothy]

The racing industry is getting a bit tired of the warm words and lack of action. At the last oral questions, the Secretary of State said that

“we need to treat different forms of gambling differently”,—[Official Report, 3 April 2025; Vol. 765, c. 412.]

but the Government have since proposed a flat tax on all online gambling, which fails to distinguish between betting on sports like horseracing, which is limited by the number of races and requires knowledge and thought, and online casinos and gaming. However, problem rates for bets on racing are about the same as for lottery scratchcards. Will the Minister commit here and now to making sure that betting on sports like racing is not treated the same as betting on online casinos and gaming?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I am a big supporter of racing, and I appreciate how many jobs it contributes to the economy—according to the British Horseracing Authority, it is 85,000. I know that racing is really important to rural areas and towns. Of course, the consultation to which he refers is a Treasury lead. It is open till 21 July, but I will reflect his comments to the Treasury.