EFRA Committee Update

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Select Committee Announcement - 18 April 2013

Evidence session: DRAFT DANGEROUS DOGS (AMENDMENT) BILL

On 9 April Defra published draft legislation aimed at tackling dangerous dogs. The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hear oral evidence as part of its pre-legislative scrutiny of these proposals on Wednesday 24 April from 3 pm.

The witnesses will be:

At 3.00 pm:

 •Gareth Pritchard, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable and

•PC Keith Evans, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)

•Richard Leaman, Chief Executive, Guide Dogs Association

At 3.45 pm:

 •Clarissa Baldwin, CEO, Dogs Trust

•Claire Horton, Chief Executive, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

•Steve Goody, Director of External Affairs, Blue Cross

•RSPCA

The meeting will take place in committee room 15 at the Palace of Westminster.

Further information on the inquiry is available on the Committee’s website.

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FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Government’ proposed legislation Draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill, Cm 8601,  is at http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm86/8601/8601.pdf

The Committee’s report published in February 2013, Dog Control and Welfare, HC 575 is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvfru/575/575.pdf and the Government’s response is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvfru/1092/1092.pdf

Defra’s consultation document Promoting more responsible dog ownership is at http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2012/04/23/dangerous-dogs-1204/.

Committee Membership is as follows:  Miss Anne McIntosh (Chair), Thomas Docherty, Richard Drax, George Eustice, Barry Gardiner, Mrs Mary Glindon, Ian McKenzie, Sheryll Murray, Margaret Ritchie, Neil Parish, Dan Rogerson

Specific Committee Information: efracom@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 6194/ 020 7219 3262

Committee Contact: Sarah Coe coes@parliament.uk 020 7219 2290  Twitter @CommonsEFRA

Media Information: Hannah Pearce pearcehm@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 8430

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/efracom              

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online: www.parliamentlive.tv  

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk

Your Views on Proposed Law Changes Requested

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Select Committee Announcement

10 April 2013

MPs TO SCRUTINISE PROPOSED LAW ON DANGEROUS DOGS

EFRA Committee invites written evidence.

On 9 April Defra published draft legislation aimed at tackling dangerous dogs.

 

The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee will conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of these proposals and invites interested parties to submit written evidence on the draft clauses and related dog control issues.

 

The Committee published its report Dog Control and Welfare in February 2013 making recommendations on Defra’s 2012 consultation on promoting more responsible dog ownership.The draft clauses published this week take forward those measures upon which the Government is now proposing to legislate.

 

The EFRA Committee would welcome views on the following issues:

 

· Do Defra’s draft clauses translate the Government’s intentions on dog control into clear, proportionate, and effective legislation?

· Do the proposed measures provide a sufficient legislative base to tackle irresponsible dog ownership?

 

o If not, which additional measures should be brought into law?

o Are any of the proposed measures unnecessary or counterproductive?

 

The Committee will focus in this short inquiry on the legislative mechanisms required to tackle dog control.

 

It will take into account the evidence submitted to its previous, wider Dog Control and Welfare inquiry so it is not necessary to resubmit full evidence covering these points. However, interested parties may wish to update any previously submitted evidence in light of the proposed legislation and the Committee’s February report.

 

Interested parties who wish to submit written evidence on these and related matters are invited to do so by Monday 22 April 2013.

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FURTHER INFORMATION:

Guidance for those wishing to submit written evidence is at:

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/environment-food-rural-affairs/NotesonSubmittingEvidence.pdf

The Government’ proposed legislationDraft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill, Cm 8601, is athttp://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm86/8601/8601.pdf

The Committee’s report published in February 2013,Dog Control and Welfare, HC 575 is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvfru/575/575.pdf

Defra’s consultation documentPromoting more responsible dog ownership is at http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2012/04/23/dangerous-dogs-1204/.

Committee Membership is as follows: Miss Anne McIntosh (Chair), Thomas Docherty, Richard Drax, George Eustice, Barry Gardiner, Mrs Mary Glindon, Ian McKenzie, Sheryll Murray, Margaret Ritchie, Neil Parish, Dan Rogerson,

Specific Committee Information:efracom@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 6194/ 020 7219 3262

Committee Contact:Sarah Coecoes@parliament.uk020 7219 2290 Twitter @CommonsEFRA

Media Information: Hannah Pearcepearcehm@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 8430

Committee Website:www.parliament.uk/efracom

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:www.parliamentlive.tv

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk