Animal Welfare Bill

My Lords, I should like to make a couple of comments on what is a very important issue. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, on raising the issue. The welfare issues for greyhounds are of great concern to people involved in greyhound racing. I can declare that I have owned greyhounds for more than 40 years and am a former chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Greyhound Group. I have had great involvement with greyhounds over many years. I pay special tribute to my noble friend Lord Lipsey for the stewardship and leadership he has provided over the past three years in his capacity as chairman of the British Greyhound Racing Board. He has done an excellent job. In essence what we are doing today is taking stock. I say on behalf of the greyhound group that we constantly monitor, observe and comment on issues affecting our national greyhound sport. I assure your Lordships that all the members of that group are happy and satisfied. We recognise that there are many issues, which have been raised today, that still need to be addressed—but they are being addressed. Progress is being made in every aspect, as was evidenced by the noble Lord who spoke just before me about what is being achieved. At this stage, I urge the House to recognise and value what progress has been made. Outside the isolated incident that took place in County Durham, which we all abhor and find totally disgusting, good progress is being made on the welfare of greyhounds. There is greater care by the owners of greyhounds, and the Retired Greyhound Trust is re-homing many more greyhounds. I assure your Lordships that in every registered greyhound stadium there is a greater awareness of, and interest in, the welfare of greyhounds and their re-homing after they have retired than I have ever known in the time I have been involved in greyhound racing. As your Lordships know, the sport gives a great deal of pleasure to many thousands of people, but at the base of it we need to make sure, as noble Lords have said today, that our greyhounds are happy and well treated and that, at the end of their racing life, they have a proper retirement and a proper home. I hope that we will allow my noble friend Lord Lipsey and his board, along with the National Greyhound Racing Club, to continue to do the work they are doing. If, as has been said, the Minister here or Ministers in the other place feel that there is a need for certain tightening up, I hope they will bring forward that kind of measure at the appropriate time. All I want to do today is assure your Lordships that things are not in any way as bad as they have been portrayed in that dreadful case recently, and that we have good reason to be thankful that progress is being made. I hope that your Lordships will all, at some stage in the next few months, go and take part in a lovely night out in greyhound racing, and see how well the animals are looked after. If I am there and I can find you a winner, I will do my very best to oblige.