After Welsh ban, no plans to ban greyhound racing in the rest of United Kingdom
Following last week’s announcement by the Welsh Government that Wales was to become the first nation in the UK to ban the sport of greyhound racing, it seems the rest of the United Kingdom will not be falling in line with the decision.
Two thirds of respondents to a public consultation – some 35,000 – in the former principality supported a phased ban of dog racing, leading to concerns in the industry that similar could eventually be rolled out across the other nations in the UK, following a similar ban introduced in New Zealand at the end of last year.
However, this seems to not be on the cards. During questions in the House of Commons this week, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy confirmed there were no plans by the Government to extend the ban across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, saying, “We have absolutely no plans whatsoever to ban greyhound racing. We appreciate the joy that it brings to many, many people in our country and the economic contribution that it makes.”
Mark Moisley, commercial director at the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), responded to the news, “We welcome the comments made today by Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, that there are no plans to follow in Wales’ footsteps by banning greyhound racing.
“We are also encouraged by her comments about the joy that the sport brings to many people and the economic contribution the industry makes to the UK.”
Moisley continued, “Greyhound racing is enshrined in British culture and contributes £164m ($207m) a year to the economy, employs 5,400 people, and remains one of the top ten spectator sports in the UK – and our priority is to ensure this continues, with the welfare of greyhounds at the heart of this.
“Next year marks the 100th anniversary of greyhound racing in the UK, and we look forward to working constructively with all governments across the UK to ensure that licensed greyhound racing is set up to thrive for the next 100 years.”
The GBGB has recently introduced a ‘Keep Welfare on Track’ campaign which calls for bookmakers to pay a statutory levy towards the welfare of the animals.
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