Greyhound racing consultation will go ahead this year, Welsh minister pledges

A public consultation on the future of greyhound racing in Wales will take place before the end of 2023, a government minister has insisted.

The commitment was reaffirmed in response to a new petition calling for the sport to be preserved in the country, amid growing support for an outright ban.

Ministers initially committed themselves to seeking public views on the issue in the spring after more than 35,000 people signed an online petition calling for the sport to be outlawed.

Support for ban

The Senedd’s petitions committee also urged ministers to consider all options for the sport’s future, with most members supporting the idea of a ban.

But the latest campaign – itself backed by more than 10,000 signatories – urges the Welsh Government to support the discipline rather than ban it.

It called for the establishment of a cross-party group to support the sport, similar to what already exists for horse racing, and claimed the original petition demanding a ban was based on “massively inflated” figures without supporting evidence being provided to support the idea.

Evidence call

In a letter to the petitions committee, which considered the new campaign in a meeting on 11 September, rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths said: “I have committed to consulting on this issue before the end of the year.”

During the session, committee chairman Jack Sargeant also urged supporters and opponents of the sport to engage in the consultation process after members agreed to keep both petitions on its agenda while that exercise takes place.

Conservative committee member Joel James said a further debate, similar to the one held on the floor of the Senedd in March, wasn’t needed at this stage.

But he also reiterated his call for more evidence to be gathered to inform any future decision.