Plans to ban greyhound racing in Wales clear first hurdle

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

The Welsh Government has taken a major step towards making Wales the first nation in the UK to ban greyhound racing after winning a key vote.

Senedd members voted 36-11, with three abstensions, to support the general principles of the greyhound racing bill tonight (December 16), paving the way for the sport to be outlawed by April 2030. However, the bill will be subject to further votes before becoming law.

Huw Irranca-Davies, the deputy first minister who is responsible for animal welfare policy in Wales, told Senedd members the welfare of greyhounds must remain paramount.

“It is about protecting the lives and welfare of greyhounds in Wales,” he said. “Greyhound racing around a track poses an inherent risk of high-speed collisions, falls and injuries.

“Bringing this to an end… will keep animals safer. This bill shows we are a progressive nation committed to ethical standards, animal welfare and forward-thinking legislation.”

‘Wales’ last track’

He said officials will continue to monitor the social and economic impact, including the effect on the Valley Greyhound Stadium – Wales’ last remaining track in Ystrad Mynach.

Mr Irranca-Davies, who visited the stadium in November, added that work is under way to ensure targeted support for workers before the bill comes into force.

The deputy first minister told Senedd members: “I took the opportunity to listen to the concerns from trainers, track managers and other industry representatives.”

He argued the likelihood of racing going underground was low, telling the Senedd he had accepted most of the recommendations on the bill made by scrutiny committees.

Delyth Jewell, who chairs the Senedd’s culture committee which has been examining the bill, expressed concerns about the “accelerated” window for scrutiny. “We hope the reduced timetable followed for this bill will not set precedents,” she said.

‘Catastrophic’

Ms Jewell said opponents accepted injuries to greyhounds happen but argued that welfare has improved under regulation, warning of racing moving underground or across borders.

She raised evidence from supporters who suggested these measures cannot address the inherent dangers of racing dogs where “catastrophic injuries are at times unavoidable”.

She stressed that the available data on welfare measures and injuries is highly contested.

Ms Jewell expressed her personal view that the bill should be agreed during the stage-one debate despite “shortcomings” in the legislative process.

The Plaid Cymru deputy leader said: “Nobody, in giving evidence, contested the fact there will always be predictable and unavoidable harms that are inherent to greyhound racing.”

She added: “Compassion should be our compass and the law should reflect that.”

‘Disproportionate’

Mike Hedges, who chairs the Senedd’s legislation committee, warned of a lack of consultation and said relevant impact assessments have not all been completed.

The Conservatives’ Gareth Davies, who visited the Valley track last week, recognised welfare concerns but he voted against the bill, suggesting a ban was disproportionate.

Mr Davies said: “I saw, first hand, the kennels the dogs were kept in which were of a very high quality and I was satisfied that the industry is, rightly, more than willing to comply with the very high standards of animal welfare regulation.”

He was pressed by Labour’s Carolyn Thomas about his support for a sport which sees dogs “suffering life-ending or life-altering injuries in the name of gambling and entertainment”.

Mr Davies warned the bill had been rushed through, with “clear evidence that injury rates have fallen to historic lows under the current regulatory framework”.

‘Good intentions’

Llŷr Gruffydd explained he would not support the principles of the bill, breaking with most of his Plaid Cymru colleagues, due to the “highly contested” evidence base. “A strong ethical basis alone doesn’t necessarily make good law,” he said.

Mr Gruffydd told the Senedd the bill was introduced without an evidence base, without comprehensive public engagement and without complete impact assessments.

Raising the risk of unintended consequences, he pointed out dogs could still be kept in Wales and raced in England – “increasing travel distances and welfare risks”.

Mr Gruffydd warned the bill falls short, saying: “We all share the goal of improving animal welfare but good intentions don’t always deliver good legislation.”

Conservative James Evans echoed these concerns as he argued against a ban, warning politicians were being placed in an “impossible position” without the necessary evidence.

‘Enough is enough’

Jane Dodds, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, struck a budget deal with the Welsh Government last year which led to the introduction of the greyhound racing bill.

Ms Dodds, who has owned rescue greyhounds, said: “These are animals that have been raced, they have been cruelly treated and I’m not going to milk that word: it is cruel.” She paid tribute to the Cut the Chase charity coalition which has campaigned for change.

Labour’s Lesley Griffiths, John Griffiths and Carolyn Thomas; Plaid Cymru’s Siân Gwenllian and Luke Fletcher; and the Conservatives’ Altaf Hussain similarly spoke in support of a ban.

Mr Hussain told the Senedd: “Dogs are being subjected to horrendous injury and death… to maximise profits for the multi-billion-pound betting industry… enough is enough.”

The bill now moves to the next steps – consideration of detailed amendments by the culture committee then the whole Senedd – before a final stage-four vote.

‘Indefensible’

Mark Bird, chief executive of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain which has launched a legal challenge to the plans, said the process showed the Senedd in the worst possible light.

Following the debate, he criticised a “dodgy backroom deal” and an “indefensible policy sham” which ignores the “condemnation and objections” of Senedd scrutiny committees.

Mr Bird warned: “This is neither good government nor good politics. This bill will do nothing to serve the priorities of the Welsh public, economy or animal welfare.

“Rather every instance of animal use in Wales – from horseracing to livestock farming – should prepare to be the next target of the animal rights movement and its political lackeys.”

He added: “Wales is sleepwalking into the arms of an animal rights future that no one has voted for and which ignores common sense, factual evidence and proper process.”