§ 97. Mr. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that promoters of greyhound racing are limited to 104 meetings per year, but that, if through inclement weather race meetings have to be cancelled, this maximum figure is pro tanto 67W reduced; and whether it is permissible, under his regulations, for promoters, in consultation with the licensing authorities and interested parties, to arrange these cancelled race meetings on other dates.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe limit of 104 days on which betting facilities may be provided on a licensed greyhound track is imposed by the Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934; the days must be fixed annually by the licensing authority and there is no provision for changing them once they have been fixed.
§ Mr. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is aware that his regulations limit greyhound racing promoters to 104 meetings on specified days in each year; and to what penalty a promoter is liable if he arranges to promote meetings on days other than those specified, for the purpose of recovering race meetings which have had to be cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather or other exceptional reasons, provided the maximum of 104 meetings per annum is not exceeded;
(2) whether he is aware that the present regulations restricting promoters of greyhound racing to 104 meetings per year make no allowance for meetings cancelled due to inclement weather and other exceptional reasons; and whether he will take the necessary action to ensure that these promoters will be able to rearrange these meetings on agreed alternative dates.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe maximum penalties for allowing betting on days other than the 104 days fixed by the licensing authority under the Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934, are set out in Section 30 of the Act. Legislation, of which I cannot indicate a prospect, would be required to allow the days fixed to be altered subsequently.