Questions raised in parliament over UK racetrack capacities
The horseracing industry continues to call for the limits on venue capacity to be raised in the UK.
UK.- Questions have been raised in the British Parliament over racetrack capacity limits under ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.
While football stadiums have been allowed to admit up to 10,000 spectators since Covid-19 countermeasures were eased, racetracks can only admit up to 4,000.
The horseracing industry has been lobbying for that limit to be raised, and Lawrence Robertson MP, the Conservative Party representative for Tewksbury, put the question to sports minister Nigel Huddleston in Parliament.
Huddleston responded that the government was “unable to allow further opening at this moment in time” owing to public health advice and concerns that the “potential for mingling” was higher at some events than others.
He said: “I’m aware of the impact that has had on certain sectors, in particular racing, and that is exactly why we want to get the Events Research Programme moving and all these sectors open as soon as possible.”
While racetracks remain limited to 4,000 spectators, Wembley Stadium has been authorised to admit 45,000 for the semi-finals of the UEFA 2020 European Championship, and 60,000 for the final.
The Racecourse Association (RCA) has expressed frustration at the capacity limit for racecourses, although the industry was able to gain permission for an attendance of up to 12,000 for Royal Ascot last week as a pilot event.
See also: UK Jockey Club considers adding a day to Cheltenham
Chief Executive David Armstrong told Racing Post: “Where we have challenged government as well is to demonstrate the scientific thinking behind not opening up for what they call standing events and events where people mingle, which obviously would include horseracing.
“Although that is put forward as a potentially higher-risk environment, we’ve not actually been shown any scientific evidence to demonstrate that.
“Obviously the most important test event for us was Royal Ascot. It will take a little while to gather the results from Ascot and if that were to come back with very positive results we would continue to press even harder because that would be the first comparable event with real evidence.”
Discussions are ongoing on the possibility of using vaccine passports to allow spectators to attend sports events. Several sporting bodies, including the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the Football Association (FA) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have expressed an interest in the concept.
HBLB agrees government loan
Meanwhile, the Horse Betting Levy Board (HBLB), the body that administers the betting levy paid by betting operators to help fund the sport, has agreed the terms for a £21.5m loan from the government as part of a Sport Winter Survival Package (SWSP).
The loan was agreed because of the impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which lost British racecourses an estimated £400m in revenue.
Some £15m of the loan will be split between prize-money funds and financial assistance for racecourses over 12 months from July 2021. The remaining £6.5m will be retained by the Levy Board to provide “flexibility”.
HBLB chairman Paul Darling said: “HBLB is pleased to announce that it has accepted a ten-year loan of £21.5m from the Government’s Sport Winter Survival Package. This is in keeping with our desire to provide over and above support to the sport in this exceptionally difficult time.”
John Whittingdale, Minister for Gambling and Lotteries, said: “Horse racing is part of our national life. We have stepped in to provide £21.5m as part of the Sports Survival Package, to help get the sport back on track, secure its future and retain its place on the world stage.”
