Commenting on yesterday’s Westminster Hall debate on the petition to ban greyhound racing, GBGB CEO Mark Bird said: “First and foremost, it was heartening to hear the degree of political support there is for our sport and the welfare of our greyhounds. The government has made it clear that they have no intention to ban greyhound racing and they are supportive of the progress that we have all made to drive forward welfare standards within our sport.
“We are thankful to all the MPs who spoke up for racing and our greyhounds, not least to Ian Lavery MP who spoke passionately about his long association with the sport as both an owner and a spectator. Likewise, Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford, discussed the proud history of our sport and its working-class roots, as well as its continued popularity and importance within his constituency.
“Reflecting on the debate, it is apparent that the petition was initially forged in Wales and much of what the petitioning MP, Christina Rees, had to say related to The Valley track, which is a non-GBGB licensed track in Wales. That being said, we cannot underplay the public support the petition received and we must continue to work to educate the public about the reality of welfare within our sport and the care greyhounds receive within licensed racing.
“While the outcome of the debate is positive, as a sport we cannot be complacent about the welfare needs of our greyhounds. GBGB is proud to have led a raft of improvements through our Greyhound Commitment but we must continue this momentum and ensure that our greyhounds receive the very best care during every stage. This work will be led by our new national welfare Strategy, A Good Life for Every Greyhound, which will be published shortly.”
At the conclusion of the 90-minute debate, much of which was focused on what GBGB and the sport has achieved in terms of welfare, Defra Minister, Rebecca Pow strongly rebutted the petition. Importantly, EFRA Sub Committee Chair Neil Parish MP requested that Defra look to hold a round table discussion with bookmakers to look at doubling the amount currently being paid as a voluntary levy for the sport, to further fund and invest in greyhound welfare.
On this point, Mark Bird said:“Neil Parish made it clear that the gambling sector must fairly contribute to the welfare of greyhounds and encouraged any remaining bookmakers who have not signed up to the voluntary arrangement to do so.
“As we look ahead to publishing and delivering our welfare strategy, we look forward to working closely with bookmakers and will be briefing them on the content of the strategy and its costs shortly. We hope that they will come away from this with a full understanding of how their payment into the levy is a positive investment rather than a necessary cost. Their additional investment will support us to further improve welfare and integrity standards and ensure a bright future for our sport.”
