Deputy First Minister outlines next steps towards ending the sport

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has announced the formation of a dedicated implementation group to oversee the transition towards a complete ban on greyhound racing in Wales.

The group was confirmed in a written statement issued on Friday (July 11) by Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs. It follows his previous statement made on June 24.

The newly formed group will include representatives from the greyhound racing industry, animal welfare charities, local authorities, and veterinary professionals. Its purpose is to ensure that the phase-out of greyhound racing is delivered in a way that prioritises animal welfare, supports those affected by the changes, and minimises disruption to local communities.

Dr Emily Blackwell, Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol Veterinary School, has been appointed Chair of the group. She will be supported by two veterinary surgeons, representatives of Valley Stadium—the only remaining greyhound racing track in Wales—members of the Cut the Chase Coalition, and various animal welfare organisations.

The group met for the first time on Friday to begin outlining its remit and planning its work schedule.

Mr Irranca-Davies said: “Legislation to ban greyhound racing in Wales will be introduced this autumn. In the meantime, we must ensure that the transition is well-planned and fair to all involved. This includes safeguarding the welfare of dogs currently within the industry and supporting owners and local communities as we move away from the practice.”

He added: “Wales aspires to be a leader in animal health and welfare. Ending greyhound racing is a step in that direction. The implementation group’s expertise will be vital in helping us achieve this goal.”

The Welsh Government says the group will continue to meet over the coming months as it prepares for the introduction of the ban later this year.

Cross-border row intensifies as Bristol claims unfair advantage

BRISTOL Airport has filed a legal challenge against the Welsh Government over what it calls “unprecedented” public funding for Cardiff Airport, escalating a long-standing dispute over state support and regional air travel.

The legal action, submitted to the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, relates to a £205.2 million subsidy package announced earlier this year to support Cardiff Airport over the next decade. This sum is in addition to nearly £200 million already invested by the Welsh Government since it bought the airport for £52 million in 2013.

Bristol Airport argues that the funding gives Cardiff Airport an unfair competitive advantage, distorting the regional aviation market and potentially shifting passengers and airline services across the Severn without generating net economic growth. It also claims the Welsh Government failed to properly consult or consider alternative views before confirming the funding arrangement.

A spokesperson for Bristol Airport said: “We fully support competition between airports, but it must be fair. This extraordinary level of subsidy risks undermining that.”

Welsh Government defends investment

Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, confirmed that legal notice had been received and defended the subsidy, describing Cardiff Airport as “a strategic asset” for Wales.

She said: “Cardiff Airport is of vital importance to the South Wales economy, supporting thousands of jobs directly and indirectly. This investment will help the airport grow sustainably and contribute to wider regional prosperity.”

The Welsh Government has repeatedly emphasised its long-term commitment to seeing Cardiff Airport thrive under public ownership, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector and the importance of maintaining a national airport.

Political fallout

The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the latest subsidy, calling it poor value for taxpayers and demanding the airport be returned to private hands. In the Senedd, opposition members have questioned why so much public money is being spent on an airport that has struggled to break even.

Cardiff Airport, meanwhile, continues to operate as normal. The management has welcomed the support and said the funding will help maintain services, attract new routes, and improve passenger facilities.

Background

Cardiff Airport has long trailed behind Bristol in terms of passenger numbers, with the English airport handling around 9 million travellers a year compared to Cardiff’s 1.5 million. Bristol has expanded rapidly in recent years, attracting major low-cost carriers, while Cardiff has faced repeated challenges retaining key routes and airlines.

The outcome of the legal challenge could have wide-ranging implications for how devolved governments can support transport infrastructure without breaching UK competition rules. The case is expected to be heard later this year.

Legal experts sceptical about Bristol’s chances

Despite the strong language in Bristol’s complaint, legal observers believe the case is likely to fail. Cardiff Airport is a publicly owned asset, and governments have broad powers to invest in infrastructure they own—especially when it serves a recognised public purpose, such as economic development or regional connectivity.

Under the UK’s post-Brexit Subsidy Control Act 2022, devolved administrations have greater flexibility to provide targeted support, so long as it meets criteria such as necessity and proportionality. Moreover, with Cardiff Airport handling a fraction of Bristol’s passenger volume, it may be difficult to prove that the subsidy causes real distortion in the market.

Unless Bristol can demonstrate direct commercial harm and show that the Welsh Government broke procedural rules, the case is likely to be dismissed.

GENERAL practitioners called for an overhaul of an “outdated, unfair” funding model, warning of an “enormous and growing” inequity putting patient safety at risk.

Doctors gave evidence as the Senedd’s health committee began an inquiry into the future of GPs amid concerns about more than 100 surgeries across Wales shutting since 2012.

James Pink, a GP partner in Llanishen, Cardiff, expressed concerns about the Carr-Hill formula, used to allocate funding to practices, which was designed in the late 1990s.

He said: “There’s almost no correlation between funding and deprivation which beggars belief. And the correlation between age, sex and funding isn’t as clear cut as you’d think.”

Dr Pink told the committee variation across Wales means an average practice could be £862,000 worse off than another similarly looking after 10,000 patients.

Noel McLoughlin, a partner at St Isan Road Surgery in Heath, said his colleague found Cardiff and Vale GPs were the worst-funded in the whole of Wales and England.

Dr McLoughlin wrote to the committee: “This means that the Carr-Hill formula regards Cardiff as the wealthiest and healthiest area with the lowest needs.

“This is clearly nonsense. The inequity in funding in Wales alone is enormous – worse still, it is growing. This must stop or the future for general practice and primary care in Cardiff is grim. No-one will want to work here.”

The GP warned: “All patients in all areas are having difficulty accessing primary care. We are struggling to maintain safe levels of working with the current demand and it is going to rise.”

Kate Baker, another Cardiff GP, wrote: “It has been distressing to see the deterioration in funding and support for general practice over the 17 years I have worked as a GP.

“The partners in our practice have not seen a pay rise for nine years and, in fact, the imposed contract for 2023/24 led to a pay cut.”

Giving evidence on July 10, Richard Stratton, a GP partner in Powys, agreed about the necessity of updating the “unfair” formula but cautioned that it will remain a blunt tool.

Dr Stratton told the health committee: “What we also need to factor in is the supplementary services that general practices participate in on top of the core contract.”

He said: “The combination of a revised formula plus better use of local services… would take us forward enormously. At the moment, both feel hamstrung by budgetary constraints.”

Asked about the system of annual negotiations on the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, Dr Stratton said single-year budgets have a debilitating impact on investment. “Without that ability to plan, everything is crisis management,” he warned.

John Williams, a practice manager in north Wrexham, described the contract process as piecemeal and rushed, criticising “tokenistic” smaller investments for posters and suchlike.

Mr Williams pointed to a “double whammy” on employer national insurance contributions, with no public exemption and no £10,500 employment allowance like private businesses.

He said his 13,000-patient practice also faces a £70,000 or 20% overnight increase in its wage bill due to changes to the national living wage.

In its written evidence, the Royal College of General Practitioners said GPs worked across 516 practices in Wales in 2002 but only 374 remain today.

Angharad Fletcher, a GP in Flintshire, warned health board-managed practices are much more expensive to run compared with GMS surgeries yet deliver a “vastly inferior service”.

“GMS is underfunded,” she wrote. “Costs have risen significantly over the past five years and income has not matched that which means in some cases surgeries are having to cut staff when the demand is greater than ever.”

Dr Fletcher added: “There is no longer a workforce crisis. There are many qualified GPs looking for work. Practices cannot afford to employ them.”

One GP, who wished to be anonymous, expressed grave concerns, warning: “We are struggling to provide an acceptable service to our patients. The funding for our practice has been eroded over the last 12 years, such that I have fears there will be harm to patients.”

Another concluded: “If politicians are to be the driver of change then we need politicians on board who have vision and energy to drive this forward.

“I have dealt with two politicians from different parties over the past nine months and each left me with the feeling that no-one really understands the issues or even cares.”