Parliamentary grilling raises concerns over second stage of levy reforms

The possibility of British racing taking over responsibility for the way levy funds are spent from April appeared to recede on Wednesday after new sports minister Mims Davies and civil servants were grilled in parliament over the government's plans for reform.

Labour MP Conor McGinn, whose St Helens North constituency includes Haydock, said he thought racing had been done a "disservice" during the joint committee hearing of the House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee (DPRRC) and the House of Commons Regulatory Reform Committee.

Having changed the way the levy is collected in April 2017 to include operators based offshore, the government has begun the second stage of those reforms, which will lead to the Levy Board's collection and distribution duties being taken over by the Gambling Commission and a new Racing Authority respectively.