Diary Of Events

[Melp]

Laura Elricc has suggested we have a diary. Please use this thread to post news articles, MP responses, news of coming events, emails etc. This is not a discussion thread, merely somewhere to post things that people need to know without them having to search through longer threads

[Brindlebabe]

Acknowledgement postcard received from Baroness Amos, Leader of The House of Lords.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Brindlebabe

[lavenderblue]

copy of my post from the long thread..

 

21st July 2006

 

 

I wasnt sure where to post this, I have just received a written reply from my MP in the post this morning.

 

copy here..

 

 

 

 

if its too tiny to read it says..

 

I acknowledge receipt of your communication in relation to the plight of racing greyhounds.

 

Sadly this is not a new situation although quite clearly the situation as described in the press is horrific.

 

In fact as long ago as 1990 the Home Affairs Select Committee, of which I was at that time a member, produced a report on the financing of greyhound racing and indicated measures that needed to be taken to protect the welfare of the animals used in the sport.

 

Since that time regrettably little action has been taken by any administration and its is my personal view that far too little money generated by the practice of racing greyhounds is ploughed back into the welfare of the animals. It is also a fact that far too many animals are bred, many are not suited to the purpose for which they are bred and, therefore, significant numbers are destroyed. At the other end of the career there is a limit to the number of retired racing greyhounds that can be accommodated by the excellent charities that have been set up for that purpose. The net result is that significant numbers of retired greyhounds are indeed slaughtered.

 

This is an issue that clearly has to be addressed. It was raised during the passage of the Animal Welfare Bill by the opposition and although at that time the Government gave it scant priority I am pleased to note that since the publication of the article in the press the Minister, Ben Bradshaw, has indicated a willingness to re-visit the whole subject. Let us hope that real progress can now be made.

 

With my best wishes.

Yours sincerely

 

 

ROGER GALE MP

Edited July 24, 2006 by lavenderblue

[kats n greys]

Also taken from the long thread.

 

Had a reply from my MP and to say the least I'm disappointed.

And I'm seriously worried about an MP that doesn't appear to read any newspapers

 

 

 

MIKE HALL MP

 

WEAVER VALE

 

 

 

HOUSE OF COMMONS

 

[/font]

 

LONDON SW1A OAA

 

Ms Alicia Mitchell

 

 

 

21 July2006

 

 

 

Dear Ms Mitchell, Thank you for your e-mail of the 17th July 2006 about Greyhound Racing.

 

 

I did not see the story about Greyhound Killing Fields. I am however aware that the treatment of retired greyhounds is a serious cause of concern. The League Against Cruel Sports says there are 10,000 greyhounds that retire each year yet only 2,000 are known to be re-homed.

 

 

 

I wrote to Margaret Beckett the then Secretary of State at the Department for

 

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this issue and received a response from Ben

 

Bradshaw MP (see attached copies).

 

 

 

In your letter you call for greyhound racing to be banned. I do not support the call for a ban. I do however believe the Government should bring in stronger regulations on the welfare of greyhounds. I also believe the Government should bring forward a compulsory levy on the greyhound racing industry to ensure sufficient funds are available to ensure proper levels of greyhound welfare and the re-homing of retired greyhounds.

 

 

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Mike Hall MP

 

 

 

 

 

He's also sent me a few letters that he's had from Margaret Becket and Ben Bradshaw.

[Brindlebabe]

Letter received today from our MP Oliver Letwin:-

 

Dear Ms Hassell

 

Thank you for your letter of 16th July, about the slaughter of thousands of greyhounds.

 

This is clearly an issue of great importance, about which there is strong public feeling - and I look forward to seeing what steps the Government proposes in relation to the regulation of these matters.

 

Yours sincerely

 

OLIVER LETWIN

 

Well that's really helpful!

[Nettie]

Article from Sporting Press, Ireland's Greyhound Paper

 

http://www.sportingpress.ie/index.php?id=239

[Pingu]

I have added a calendar to help with dates etc

 

 

 

go to

 

 

 

http://www.rykat.org/forums/index.php?act=calendar

 

 

 

(or click on calendar at the top of the page)

 

 

 

at the bottom there is a bit called calendar jump

 

 

 

select greyhound protest

[Brindlebabe]

Received today

 

[cycas]

My MP, Colin Breed, SE Cornwall, has written back to me. He says:

 

--

 

Thank you for your email of 21st July and I had great pleasure in signing the Early Day motion condemning the slaughter of greyhounds and I have to say I was simply horrified at the numbers of animals involved.

 

I can well understand your lack of faith in the British Racing Greyhound Board, and its ability to properly investigate the matter, but I can assure you that very many MPs will be staying very close to this particular situation, not least the All-Party Animal Welfare Groups, which I know is particularly interested.

 

--

 

My email made the point strongly that I was not just contacting him about this one incident, and I'm not entirely sure that he has really got that, but at least it sounds reasonably positive.

Edited July 27, 2006 by cycas

[kelli]

My reply from mp was a bit of a cop out,

 

thank you for your email of 22 July, 2006 about the welfare of racing greyhounds.

 

I understand your concerns on this matter & I have taken up the issues raised with the Minister for Animal Welfare, Ben Bradshaw MP.

 

As soon as I receive a reply, I shall be in touch.

 

(signed in Peter Lilley's absence to avoid delay)

[magic]

I got a disappointing response from Defra...

 

 

GREYHOUND WELFARE

 

Thank you for your email of 18 July 2006 to Ben Bradshaw about greyhound racing. I have been asked to reply.

 

I can assure you that we share your concerns on the allegations in the press of the killing of a large number of retired racing greyhounds.

 

Government Ministers have called upon the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) – the organisation which sets and administers welfare standards for those tracks and owners/trainers who race under NGRC rules - to investigate the allegations made in the press. The Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) - an all-party parliamentary group made up of MPs, Peers and associate animal welfare organisations – has also launched its own investigation into the allegations. We welcome this enquiry and will certainly wish to consider any recommendations APGAW makes.

 

Until such time as further evidence is produced, we are unable to comment on whether any offences have been committed in the case mentioned in the press.

 

On the issue of the number of greyhounds retiring from racing each year, there is very little reliable evidence on the fate of greyhounds on retirement. Although, of course, the welfare of greyhounds during and after their racing career is ultimately the responsibility of the owners and trainers themselves. However, welfare organisations and the racing industry have worked together in recent years in an effort to improve the number of retired greyhounds who are re-homed. The racing industry has increased considerably the financial support that it provides for the welfare of retired greyhounds. Funding for greyhound welfare is channelled through the British Greyhound Fund, which is funded by the industry, including the betting industry. In 2005 grants relating to welfare totalled £2.5m, including £1.3m to the Retired Greyhound Trust (RGT). In 2000, funding from the industry for the RGT was £240,000. There are now more than 60 RGT Branches from Jersey to the Isle of Skye.

 

The British Greyhound Racing Board is also working with other canine welfare organisations to examine what is happening to retired greyhounds and is committed to addressing any problems identified. All of its publicity material informs prospective greyhound owners that they are responsible for the proper provision of their greyhound in retirement.

 

A Welfare Executive employed by the NGRC works with the RGT by helping to enforce it welfare rules – especially by stressing to owners their primary responsibility in finding homes for their retired greyhounds. Under NGRC rules those dogs that cannot be re-homed have to be humanely destroyed by a veterinary surgeon.

 

It is already an offence under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 to destroy an animal in a manner that will cause it unnecessary suffering. In addition, the Animal Welfare Bill, currently before Parliament, will introduce an offence of failing to provide for the welfare needs of an animal. This will apply to owners and keepers of all animals, including racing, and retired, greyhounds.

 

The Bill also provides powers to introduce secondary legislation to regulate animal related activities. We are considering making specific regulations under the Animal Welfare Bill in relation to the welfare of racing greyhounds.

 

Defra has set up a working group to examine the issue of greyhound welfare. The group has been asked to offer advice to Ministers and officials in the drafting of regulations to improve greyhound welfare. Members of the group include representatives of welfare organisations, the racing industry, local authorities, the devolved administrations and Defra.

 

While this group has yet to make any recommendations - our preference is that whenever possible welfare standards should be regulated by the industry. Although we recognise that industry self-regulation may not be an option for those tracks that are not operating under the aegis of the NGRC, I can assure you that we would not recommend any system of self-regulation unless it can be commended to parliament as a system that is open and auditable, with the standards set and the effectiveness of the enforcers monitored by central Government. This is a key issue and clearly one which the working group will want to address in its recommendations. There will also be a full public consultation on our proposals before approval by parliament.

 

I hope this letter addresses your concerns.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Michael Akano

Customer Contact Unit

Edited July 28, 2006 by magic

[lavenderblue]

I heard from Greyhound Action this morning,

 

Save the Greyhounds Gathering

Tooting Bec Common, London SW16 (Rastell Road entrance)

Sunday, August 27th, 12 noon

 

Please keep this day free and try to attend this very important event at

which rescued greyhounds (and other dogs) will be very welcome.

 

Do bring along anti greyhound racing banners and placards (if you have any

or can make some) and food and drink for yourself and the dogs.

 

Following the Sunday Times exposé, there has been a groundswell of feeling

within the greyhound protection movement that there should be a

demonstration in London in protest at the suffering and slaughter caused by

the greyhound racing industry.

 

Because of our very heavy workload, we were reluctant at first to organise

such an event, but became increasingly concerned that, if we did not do so,

the protest would be watered down by calls for reform and stricter

regulation, when what is needed is a clear message to the government that

the greyhound racing industry should be done away with and to the public

that they should boycott commercial greyhound racing, so that more tracks

close, leading to less demand for the breeding of dogs for suffering and

slaughter.

 

We thought, first of all, of organising a march, but have decided against

this, because we want dogs to be present (including "oldies") and the

forecast for August is more very hot weather.

 

In fact, a gathering on Tooting Bec Common is ideal, as it is a lovely

location, which is great for dogs, and parking should be comparatively easy

in side-streets near to the Rastell Road entrance.

 

Most important of all, Lord David Lipsey, who presides over the mass

slaughter of greyhounds from his position as chairman of the British

Greyhound Racing Board, lives in a luxury house right next to the Common and

will be able to see our protest gathering from his window!

 

We intend this to be a gentle, enjoyable event, for human and canine

participants alike, but with an important message for the government, the

public and the greyhound racing industry.

 

There will be speeches and a minutes silence in memory of the many hundreds

of thousands of victims of greyhound racing, followed by the laying of

wreaths and flowers outside David Lipsey's home in remembrance of those same

poor dogs. A letter will be delivered to Lipsey from Greyhound Action

calling on him to recognise the error of his ways and to join us in our

efforts to bring the greyhound racing industry to an end.

 

We hope that anyone who wants to speak will be able to do so and we hope

that various greyhound rescue and animal protection organisations will be

present and will each provide a speaker.

 

We must stress though, that the aim of the Gathering is to call for an end

to commercial greyhound racing and we really want no talk of anything less.

 

Our Remembering Rusty event last year was a great success, with about 100

people attending, even though it was held at a fairly remote location in

South Wales. Hopefully, with the Save the Greyhounds Gathering being held in

London and following in the wake of the Seaham horror story, we can attract

several times that number.

 

Lets make August 27th a great day for the greyhounds!

 

Im sure others have more info than me

Edited July 29, 2006 by lavenderblue

[Brindlebabe]

Reply from the PM's office

 

 

Just David Cameron left to reply.

[littlenutters]

I recieved this letter today in response to my letter to the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly.

 

Dear Sian Jenkins

 

Your letter to the First Minister Rodri Morgan of the 19 July on the recent press coverage of "Greyhound killing Fields" has been passed to me to respond as my responsibilities cover the Animal Welfare Bill and it's potential outcomes.

 

You raise interesting points, but let me say immediately that burying greyhounds or removing them to be shot because they are of no racing use is, in our view not acceptable. However, for the Assembly to implement new rules or standards on greyhounds, we will have to wait until the Animal Welfare Bill has been enacted. Once enacted, which we hope will be in the Autumn of this year and its provisions intact in clause 12 which will allow the Assembly to make regulations to promote animal welfare, we would hope to consider the issues in more detail.

 

There is in our view several issues that need consideration, these include microchipping animals, ensuring veterinary presence at tracks and ensuring that tracks in Wales have appropriate surfaces, so that the welfare of animals is not compromised.

 

I recognise that for you this perhaps does not go far enough, but the greyhound forum in Wales set up in 2004 through the auspices of the All Party Group on Animal Welfare recognised these problems early on. We only have independant tracks in Wales and we are in discusion with the forum on these issues. It will of course be for Ministers to decide eventually what they wish to do, once the Animal Welfare Bill becomes enacted.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Alun Streeter

Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer

[Going to the dogs]

I was under the impression that the Animal Welfare Bill excluded racing Greyhounds and that their welfare was to be left in the hands of the industry.

 

If that is so, what is he on about?