Future of British Horseracing

Stephanie Peacock Excerpts

Tuesday 7th July 2026 Westminster Hall

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

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris, and I congratulate the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Lincoln Jopp) on securing this vital debate on the future of horseracing. There have been many valuable contributions and I will try to respond to all the points that were made to me. Of course, I am not the Gambling Minister—that is Baroness Twycross, who sits in the other place—but I will also ensure that she writes to Members about some points.

The focus of this debate is the future of Kempton Park, and I know that the hon. Member is deeply concerned about the long-term option agreement on the racecourse land, which runs until 2028, as well as the local anxieties around potential housing development on green-belt and floodplain land. He made a couple of points about the national planning policy framework. Where the NPPF seeks to support the development of land connected to railway stations, that does not grant automatic permission or remove appropriate local oversight. I have asked my office to reach out to my counterpart in MHCLG, who I am sure will meet him—the hon. Member for Spelthorne will appreciate that planning is an issue for local authorities and MHCLG. I know that the Gambling Minister, who I spoke to earlier today, will be happy to meet him, but this particular point on planning is for MHCLG.

The hon. Member showed in his speech that he is a strong advocate for his constituency and the industry. He shared examples such as the many emails and the public meeting at the Magpie pub. Clearly, this issue is of real concern to his constituents, and I recognise the significance of the track—I think he said that it dates back to 1878.

Although the developer has stated that a planning application is not imminent this year, the Government fully recognise the immense sporting and cultural value of this historic venue. Kempton Park is home, of course, to the iconic King George VI Chase on Boxing day. That legendary steeplechase and mid-season highlight of the jumps calendar is fiercely defended by leading trainers and racing fans alike, some of whom have joined us in the Public Gallery.

The hon. Member illustrated that point very powerfully in his opening remarks. I draw his attention to the fact that there are 40 examples of racecourses represented on the national heritage list for England, with grandstands, pavilions and racing stables included. I encourage the hon. Member to submit an application to Historic England if he would like a specific part of Kempton Park racecourse to be considered for listing.

I reiterate that, although any specific development proposal remains a matter for local government and the independent planning process, we completely understand how much this internationally famous racecourse means to the heritage of British racing and the local community. I am sure the hon. Member for Spelthorne will appreciate where these decisions lie, but after this debate I will write to him and set up these meetings, as I have committed to doing.

His Majesty’s Government recognise the significant contribution that racing makes to British culture and its particular importance to the British economy, as has been rightly mentioned. It plays a central role to the livelihood of many different communities. I am well aware, from my time as the shadow Minister for Gambling, of the strength of support on both sides of the House for horseracing, as well as some of the concerns and challenges faced by the sector.

British horseracing is a world-class industry; it is the envy of the global sporting community, as my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Walton (Dan Carden) rightly highlighted. It was a joy to see him in his home city last week. Flagship events such as Royal Ascot, the Cheltenham festival, Goodwood or York are major international attractions. We have two Members here from Doncaster, my hon. Friends the Members for Doncaster Central (Sally Jameson) and for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher); it is important to recognise the 250th anniversary of the St Leger festival. It was a delight to join my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster Central in 2023 on the day that His Majesty the King attended. I have been pleased to go to the St Leger on more than one occasion, and would be delighted to go back. Being just down the road from my constituency, I know just how important Donny racecourse is.

Beyond the glamour of some of the elite festivals, horseracing is an economic powerhouse. It is our nation’s second largest spectator sport, contributing more than £4 billion annually to the economy and supporting approximately 85,000 jobs, many of which are vital to the sustainability of our rural communities. As the Minister for Tourism, I am aware of Britain’s reputation as a global leader in horseracing and breeding. Indeed, it is promoted worldwide as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign, demonstrating the role that sport plays in soft power.

I recognise the concerns of industry and Members that have been raised about the introduction of financial risk assessments. The Gambling Commission today announced its intention to implement these assessments through a careful, phased approach. The commission outlined that the recent pilot demonstrated that these assessments can successfully identify individuals in severe financial distress without intruding on the overwhelming majority of customers.

Crucially, the pilot showed that, for those that did reach the threshold for assessment, checks can be undertaken without friction in 97% of cases. We must remember that it affects only 0.5% of customers. However, I fully appreciate the concerns put to me. The policy was established in the 2023 White Paper under the previous Government and has been in force for three years, subject to a two-year pilot and a phased implementation. The shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French), and others have raised concerns and put questions to me, and I recognise that he has taken a keen interest in the subject. On 16 November 2023, he put a written question to the then Gambling Minister, the right hon. Member for Daventry (Stuart Andrew), under the previous Government. In his reply, that Minister talked about how the current system was inconsistent and how they wanted to bring some uniformity.

A point was put to me by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Walton about where the policy is set. The policy is set by Government; it started under the previous Government and has continued under this Government. The Gambling Minister, who sits in the other place, is responsible for that, and its implementation is for the Gambling Commission. Having spoken to the Gambling Minister, I know she has met the Gambling Commission and put many of these questions to them. I am sure that the Gambling Commission would meet any Member of this House; I can set up those meetings if that would be welcome. I have heard the points that Members have put to me, and I will take them back to the Gambling Minister.

[Mr French]

I think we are beyond this “he said, she said” about what happened in previous Parliaments. The commitment from the previous Government was clear that these checks must be frictionless. The Minister also said at the time that the checks should be frictionless, but she has acknowledged in her comments that they are not completely frictionless, so why are we proceeding with something that is against what the previous Government and this Government have said is their policy?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I recognise the point made by the shadow Minister. I quoted him in recognising his consistency on this issue, and I noted that he put questions on this to the previous Government. Around 97% have been frictionless in the pilot. Obviously, it has not yet been rolled out, but it will be, and it will be kept under close consideration.

The hon. Member also put another couple of questions to me. I understand that the evidence will be published in due course and the implementation timeline will be published after the summer. If he would like to meet the Gambling Minister, I am sure she will meet him and other hon. Members who are interested.

Horseracing holds a unique position as the only sport in receipt of a direct, Government-mandated levy, which is paid by bookmakers at 10% of gross profits and is projected to return £110 million to the sport this year. Following a comprehensive review of the levy, a written statement to the House in March outlined that there will not be legislative changes to its rate or scope at this time.

In last year’s Budget, the Chancellor announced that British horseracing was specifically carved out of the increase to gambling duty, which affected overseas racing and other forms of betting. We recognise that bookmakers already contribute through the 10% levy and we want to acknowledge the valuable role the sport plays in British culture. My hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell), who is no longer in his place, raised the unintended consequences with me. I will ensure that the Gambling Minister writes to him, and I will reflect those concerns to the Treasury.

As announced last week in our response to the consultation on fees, on-course bookmakers will now be charged on the basis of gross gambling yield rather than days of operation. That removes a significant financial disincentive for bookmakers to attend smaller race meetings and will result in a fee reduction for 44% of operators in this category.

I am incredibly encouraged by the proactive and ambitious steps that the racing sector is taking to innovate. The British Horseracing Authority’s work on Project Beacon and Project Pace shows exactly the kind of forward-thinking strategy needed to protect and grow the sport.

Members have raised valid points about the risk of consumers moving to the unlicensed illegal gambling market. The Government recognise that that threat exists. We are taking action in this space, including providing an additional £26 million funding over three years to enable the Gambling Commission to increase its enforcement activity. The illegal gambling taskforce, chaired by Baroness Twycross, is actively considering what more can be done to tackle those threats and will meet again later this month.

We are also committed to ensuring that the licensed sector is not placed at a commercial disadvantage. To support that, we will soon launch a consultation on banning unlicensed gambling sponsors in sport and will continue to work across Government to crack down on illegal advertising.

Finally, I want to touch on the issue at the heart of the sport—the welfare of the animals. Over the last 20 years, British racing has invested more than £47 million in veterinary research and education, with funding from the levy board and more recently the Racing Foundation. To build on that progress, the levy board is committing £3.7 million to disease surveillance, veterinary science and education programmes starting this year.

[Esther McVey]

I appreciate that the Minister might not be able to answer some of the very specific questions I raised, so could she make sure that the Gambling Minister writes to me with the answers?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I absolutely make that commitment. I touched on some of the points that the right hon. Lady made, but I will make sure that she receives that letter.

British horseracing is a cherished part of our national heritage and an invaluable contributor to our economy. As I have reflected in this place before, I have a number of happy memories of going to the races myself, down the road from my constituency to Donny races, and to York races, where I spent a wonderful day with my late, great agent, Jim Andrews, who sadly passed away shortly after that time. I always think of him when I think of York races.