Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure animal welfare standards are (a) observed and (b) reviewed in the horse racing industry.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing's governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the welfare of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible. Officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continue to engage productively with these organisations on equine welfare and safety matters.