A number of constituents have written to me regarding
Race horse welfare:
As many of you
will know there was a debate in Parliament on 15 October following a successful application to the Petition
Committee. The petition, had over 105,000 signatures. The Government statement
on this said it “does not consider that it is necessary to create a new body to
protect racehorse welfare,” and outlines that “the British Horseracing
Authority (BHA) is responsible for the safety of jockeys and horses at races in
this country.” The debate gave opportunity to challenge and question a
Minister.
As a family we have been horse owners and lovers and so
the debate was of interest, however I
was unable to attend due to other pressing Parliamentary business. The Minister
did take note of many of the points raised. It is also worth noting that the
debate itself is an invaluable tool in raising awareness amongst MPs and the
public around these issues. That has the effect of influencing decision-making in Government and
Parliament.
I firmly believe these debates makes all interested
parties take note and the BHA will no doubt review all its' procedures if only
to ward off possible punitive legislation. My own view is that I am generally
against banning things and over legislating. However this is a matter I can
raise with Ministers when I see them.
