Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department is proposing to do to reduce the number of dog attacks on cats.

The Government is serious about tackling irresponsible ownership of dogs, which is why Defra is funding research being carried out by Middlesex University to gain a better understanding of the reasons for dog aggression, whether this is towards people or other animals, such as cats. We expect to have the findings of the research by the end of the year.

In the Government’s response to the EFRA Select Committee report on controlling dangerous dogs, we committed to a plan of action with stakeholders on the most effective way to reach children across the country to help promote responsible dog ownership from an early age. We are taking this work forward in the context of the findings from the research project.

Defra has provided local authorities and police with guidance in relation to the controls on dangerous dogs. This guidance is available on GOV.UK and the Local Government Association website in addition to the publication “Dangerous Dogs Law: Guidance for Enforcers”, which is available on GOV.UK. There are no central records of the number of dog attacks on cats.