Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
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.
Answered by David Rutley
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.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities to prevent dog attacks on cats.
Answered by David Rutley
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.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cats were attacked by dogs in each of the last three years.
Answered by David Rutley
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.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to bring wild animals within the scope of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 once the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012 expire in January 2020.
Answered by David Rutley
It remains the Government’s intention to introduce legislation banning the use of wild animals in travelling circuses by the time the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012 expire in January 2020. Wild animals are already within the scope of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. However, there is an exemption from licensing for those animals already subject to a licence under either the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012 or the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty sentences from six months to five years imprisonment.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has announced that it intends to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from 6 months’ imprisonment to 5 years’ imprisonment. The necessary legislation needed to make this change will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce legislation to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences to five years imprisonment.
Answered by George Eustice
On 30 September the Secretary of State announced that the Government would increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment. As this announcement made clear, draft legislation will be published for consultation around the turn of the year
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many animal cruelty offences and convictions have taken place in Flintshire County in the last three years.
Answered by George Eustice
The number of offenders proceeded against and found guilty of offences under Sections 4 to 8 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in the North Wales Police Force area, from 2014 to 2016, can be viewed in the table below. From 1 January 2015 Flintshire Local Justice Area merged into North East Wales Local Justice Area and this is why the table sets out the data for both areas.
Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of animal cruelty (1), North Wales Police Force area, 2014 to 2016 (2)(3)
Force / Local Justice Area | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |||
Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | |
North Wales | 17 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 6 |
of which |
|
|
| |||
Flintshire County (4) | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
North East Wales (4) | Nil | Nil | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
(1) Defined as SS4-8 Animal Welfare Act 2006
(2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed.
Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
(4) Flintshire Local Justice Area merged into North East Wales Local Justice Area from 1 January 2015
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.