Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) police forces and (b) local authorities on improving the enforcement of the Highway Code requirement that dogs must be kept on a short lead when on pavements, roads or shared paths.

Under Section 27 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and reflected in Rule 56 of the Highway Code, dogs should not be on the road without a responsible person present. Further advice is to keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.