FMQs: First Minister urged to back greyhound racing ban
Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has urged First Minister John Swinney to back his call for an end to greyhound racing in Scotland.
Last week the Welsh Government announced that it would ban the cruel gambling-led entertainment “as soon as practically possible.” This followed the announcement that it will soon be banned in New Zealand.
Mr Ruskell opened his question to the First Minister by asking “To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will protect the lives of racing greyhounds.”
In his response the First Minister promised to give “full and careful consideration” to Mr Ruskell’s proposals.
In his second question, Mr Ruskell said:
“I thank the first Minister for his response and for the summary of existing legislation, but I would ask him to reflect personally on the fact that hundreds of greyhounds are killed across the UK every year and thousands are injured.
“These deaths and injuries are happening at licensed tracks. So it is quite clear that licensing won’t protect the dogs and that we shouldn’t be licensing animal cruelty as a nation.
“So will the First Minister work closer with me and the Welsh Government in rejecting the licensing of greyhound racing and phasing out racing to protect the dogs?”
In his response the First Minister said that he and officials would engage with Mr Ruskell and the Welsh government.
According to the RSPCA, there are only 9 countries in the world that still allow commercial greyhound racing, including all 4 UK nations.
Data from 2023 showed that 109 greyhounds died trackside in the UK, an increase on the number for 2022. A further 4,238 greyhounds were injured during racing in 2023.