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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to promote (a) safety of racing horses and (b) prevention of horse fatalities resulting from participation in equestrian performance sport.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing's governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety 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 (Defra) continue to engage productively with these organisations on equine welfare and safety matters.