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Select committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

15th Special Report - Controlling dangerous dogs: Government Response to the Committee’s Ninth Report

Published 28 January 2019

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Dangerous Dogs: Breed Specific Legislation inquiry Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance

The government's response

This document responds to 9th Report - Controlling dangerous dogs.

This is the government's response, published 28 January 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the report, but does not consider that restrictions should be extended to other types of dog, that it is a priority to amend the legislation on rehoming prohibited dogs, or that the case for compulsory insurance has been made.

  • On research, Defra commissioned work with Middlesex University in November 2018 on the effectiveness of current dog control measures and the factors behind dog attacks, and "will be pleased to update EFRA" on progress, with publication expected "later this year".
  • On rehoming prohibited dogs, the government "notes and agrees" it would be irresponsible to amend the breed ban without safeguards, and does not consider it "a priority to amend legislation at this time".
  • On compulsory dog insurance, the government has "some concerns" and does not consider "that the case has been made for insurance to be a necessary requirement".
  • On a single Dog Control Act, it "accepts that there are presentational benefits" but says simple consolidation "would not necessarily result in improvements". On a database of dog bites, it is "keen to explore" wider data collection with police forces.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources