Horse Racing Levy

Debate between Sam Gyimah and Gerry Sutcliffe

Thursday 20th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Sutcliffe]

The hon. Gentleman knows that I am not going to get involved in John Terry’s wages any more—they are not my problem. However, there are issues about where money from sports rights should go, and about the grass roots and how we fund grass-roots sports. However, the money would go not just to the premier league, but to grass-roots sport as well.

[Mr Sam Gyimah (East Surrey) (Con)]

First, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock) for securing this debate. A racing right would ensure that gambling contributes to the upkeep of racing, which—I say this in response to the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Philip Davies)—is essential if we are to keep racing and to keep Britain ahead, as my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk said.

[Mr Sutcliffe]

The hon. Gentleman makes his point, but the gambling industry would say that it already makes a contribution. My Member of Parliament, the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies), is an advocate of what the gambling industry has said about the rights it pays already—television rights, sponsorship and so on.

There has to be an adult relationship and a commercial coming-together. The Tote can help with the way forward. The previous Government made the decision to sell the Tote, and gave a manifesto commitment to give 50% of the money raised from its sale back to racing. I know that defining racing makes that difficult, but it could be a starting point.