Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution of the horseracing industry to the economy in Scotland.

The Government recognises the valuable contribution horseracing makes to rural economies across Britain. A recent economic impact study commissioned by Scottish Racing found that the Scottish horseracing industry generated £302 million in revenues in 2016, sustains 3,430 jobs, and generates £30m of tax revenues per annum. Further detail is provided in Scottish Racing’s 2016 Annual Review: http://www.scottishracing.co.uk/annual-review/

In April 2017 the Government implemented reforms to the Horserace Betting Levy, which extended the Levy to offshore online operators. This is expected to result in a significant increase in Levy income for the benefit of the sport across the whole of Britain.