The
long-awaited report from the Independent Review of the Greyhound
Racing Industry chaired by Lord Donoughue, was published on the 27th
November 2007.
The
report is a thoroughgoing examination of all aspects of the
“sport” and makes a number of important recommendations. The
enquiry was set up by the British Greyhound Racing Board (BGRB)
and the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) and has the backing
of the government. It is now for the industry to decide
whether or not to adopt the Report and to put its recommendations
into practice.
Since
Donoughue makes it clear that failure by the industry to implement
his recommendations would result in governmental control, it seems
certain that it will be adopted. The Greyhound Forum discussed the
report on 12th December. Whilst both sides (industry
and welfare) need more time to digest the details of a document
stretching to 150 pages, the general feeling seemed to be that the
Review had done a thorough job and that it contained much of
worth.
However,
our main concern is that Donoughue has perpetuated the
industry’s regime of self-regulation. This is something
all the welfare representatives have always opposed. It
seems certain that self-regulation will continue, but in a climate
of some degree of increased independent oversight. Although
this battle has been lost, it will be important that the welfare
groups make their position quite clear. The general animal
welfare situation should also be improved to some degree by the
passage of the Animals Act, which now places a “duty of care”
on anyone in charge of an animal to ensure its health and
well-being.
Donoughue’s
central proposal is that both BGRB and NGRC should be swept away
and their place taken by a new regulatory board with an increased
independent content. The details of this set up are too
complex to be discussed here, but our worry is that the Report
recommends that all the existing staffs of the old bodies should
form the new staff. Since these people have been found, by
the Donoughue enquiry itself, to have failed lamentably to ensure
a proper standard of animal welfare and to have forfeited the
confidence of the public and of Parliament, we deplore any such an
arrangement. We consider it essential that all posts in the
new organisation should be open to competing application from
existing employees and outsiders equally. In addition, the
senior positions should be filled by new people with new ideas.
Although
we intend to put our concerns forward as forcefully as we can, I
have to tell you that the “official line” is that the report
is now signed off and will not be changed. It is intended to be
adopted or rejected as a whole.
To
summarise; my feeling is that the Donoughue Review has let
much-needed light into the somewhat secretive workings of the
industry and has laid down several desirable welfare principles,
but that the main outcome is disappointing from our point of view.
To
view the full report please go online at www.greyhounds-donoughue-report.co.uk