GRAND NATIONAL

That this House welcomes the efforts made by the horseracing industry to improve safety for the running of the 2012 Aintree Grand National; regrets the fatalities of two horses in this year's running of the race; notes that the decade since 2000 is the safest on record for the race; sincerely hopes that recent changes will be shown over time to have reduced risk, whilst understanding it is not alwayspossible to remove this entirely from such an arduous and competitive event; considers this annual contest to be an important part of racing sporting endeavour and recognises its place in British history since its first running in 1839; observes its continued popularity in the UK and across the world with an estimated global audience in excess of half a billion people; and fully understands that every effort must be made further to improve safety for all horses and jockeys participating and for safety improvements to be properly considered and judged continuously whilst every effort is made to maintain the essence of what makes the Grand National the most popular horse race in the UK calendar.