§ 22. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that since the establishment of the Racecourse Betting Control Board £220,627 has been allotted by the Board to purposes connected with the sport of horse-racing, and only £19,650 to purposes conducive to improvements of the breeds of horses; and on what grounds such a small allocation to horse-breeding is justified?
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)I am assured by the Board that they have made every effort to allocate the available funds to the various objects specified in the Act in the manner which in their judgment is most advantageous. The amount of money which can advantageously be allocated in the form of direct grants for improving the breed of horses is limited, but it must be remembered that sums allotted for the improvement of horse racing do operate, either directly or indirectly, for the benefit of horse breeding. In particular, some 35 per cent. of the grants made by the Board for purposes connected with horse racing have been allotted to the provision of increased stake money, and this is a direct encouragement to thoroughbred horse breeding, on which the maintenance of the standard of other horse breeding largely depends.