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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to compel the British Horseracing Authority to publish the names and details of all horses killed in racing and in training; and if he will make a statement.

Defra is keen to ensure that we uphold our high standards of welfare including in relation to horseracing. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are responsible for racehorse and rider safety at British racetracks and produce annual statistics on the numbers of equine fatalities at such racetracks. The BHA also work in collaboration with the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make racetracks as safe as possible. The Government and the BHA accept that more should be done to reduce the number of racehorse fatalities on our racetracks and I am in active discussions with the BHA about how to achieve that aim and make horseracing safer.