6 Conclusion
46. The draft Bill is welcome as far as it goes,
particularly in extending the law to cover attacks made by dangerous
dogs within homes. We have set out above reservations about the
extent of the 'householder case', the definition of 'assistance
dog' and the clarity of the new provisions relating to 'fit and
proper' persons who may own a dog. We regret that the Government
has not taken the opportunity to go further, particularly as regards
Dog Control Notices and the consolidation of the various measures
relating to dog control and breeding. We are disappointed that
the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill introduced
the dangerous dogs measures shortly before publication of this
report since we make a number of recommendations here that have
therefore not been taken into account in the published measures.
We urge the Government to adopt our recommendations and put forward
amendments reflecting these during the passage of the Bill through
the House. We look forward to proposing amendments, if necessary,
at the appropriate stage on the recommendations made in both
this and our previous report.
|
