Mr. Denis Egan:

I will move onto the questions put by Deputy Thomas Pringle, the first of which concerned off-course integrity checks. We do an amount of off-course integrity checks, both random stable inspections and drug testing. We visit between 50 and 70 stables each year to carry out random checks to ensure they are complying with the rules of racing. Last year, in respect of drug testing, we carried out 3,200 samples tests, including on the racecourse, of which 283 were taken in training. This involves going into the trainer's yard and randomly selecting ten or 50 horses, depending on where we are. We take away the samples and if they disclose the presence of a prohibited substance not recorded in a medicines register or, in other words, prescribed for the horse for a legitimate reason, the case is prosecuted. From that point of view, we see one of the biggest issues in future as drug testing out of competition.

From 1 January 2015, we will carry out random drug testing on all horses once they entered the racing system, even if they are not in training, until they officially retire.

This is in line with international practice because the view is that if performance enhancing substances, such as anabolic steroids, are being given to horses, they are not being given close to competition day but when the horse if off, maybe in a field somewhere. As I said, we do not have any evidence that it is happening here but it is something of which we need to be conscious and we will increase our testing on that from 1 January next year.