Horses - equine issues in Government
Defra works for:
- the good of horses
- people who ride, own, or work with horses; and
- the sustainable benefits which horses bring to economies and communities.
Who does what?
The Horse Industry
The horse industry's gross output is worth approximately £4 billion per year, and attracts around 4.3 million riders, and directly or indirectly employs up to a quarter of a million people. It plays an important part in the national and especially rural economies, the social fabric of rural communities, and environmental and land management.
The industry is highly diverse. It includes large-scale commercial activities such as racing and sport horses, the leisure and recreational use of horses, and ancillary activities like farriery, equine medicine, tack and feed supply.
The Government
Jim Fitzpatrick is Minister for Food, Farming and Environment, which includes responsibility for animal health and welfare, and other equine issues.
Jim Fitzpatrick is a Minister in Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Minister for Sport is responsible for policy on equine sport, racing and the Tote, and is based in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Other Ministers' and Government Departments' responsibilities also affect the horse industry. For example, the Department for Communities and Local Government (previously ODPM) handles land use planning policy, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform DBERR (previously DTI)". promotes competitiveness, HM Treasury is responsible for financial and economic policy, and skills and learning fall to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) - previously DfES.
Ministers in the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Office / Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are responsible for equine matters in their countries.
Other public bodies
Other public bodies which relate to the horse industry include Natural England, local authorities (for example through their planning functions), the business support service Business Link, and UK Sport. More public sector links.
If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, please contact the Defra helpline (08459 33 55 77)
Page last modified:
11 June, 2009
Page published: 11 November,
2003