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Andrew Selous

South West Bedfordshire

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Dangerous Dogs Act

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I appreciate the depth of concerns raised about this issue. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, it is a criminal offence to allow any dog of any breed or type to be dangerously out of control. It also prohibits certain types of dogs that are considered a serious risk to public safety. These specific types of dogs are: Pit bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. It is for a court to decide if a prohibited dog can be kept by someone once it has considered the dog’s temperament, among other issues. Conviction under this Act can lead to a prison sentence or a disqualification order which prevents the owner from keeping dogs for a certain period of time.

Recently, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned research from Middlesex University into dog attacks. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of current dog control measures, identify and examine the factors and situations that may cause dog attacks, and consider how to promote responsible dog ownership.

I understand that this research did not specifically extend to considering the merits of breed specific legislation. However, it makes reference to the fact that some literature suggests breed specific legislation is not effective and highlights that some academic studies suggest dog breed is not a major risk factor. The report’s conclusion is that while there is no single risk factor when it comes to dog attacks, there are improvements that can be made to prevent attacks, particularly around early intervention and enforcement.

I am aware that the recommendations in the report included the statutory recording of dog attack incidents, improving the quality and availability of dog training, addressing inconsistent approaches to dog enforcement, and a register for dog owners. This could ensure that people with offences could be struck off the register and not allowed to keep dogs in the future.

I welcome that the report’s recommendations will provide the basis for consideration of further reform in the area. I understand that officials will set up a steering group with the police and stakeholders to consider these recommendations further and I will consider carefully any developments stemming from this.  

I also know that historically, pit bulls are powerful dogs which have been bred in the UK for dog fighting. I am aware that data gathered from 2005 onwards on fatal dog attacks show that pit bulls were involved in around one in six tragic incidents, despite the prohibitions in place.

I know that my ministerial colleagues consider that lifting the restrictions on these types of dogs would more likely result in an increase in dog attacks, rather than contributing to any reduction in such incidents.

Campaign Responses

  • Access to Waterways
  • Adult Dependant Relative Visa
  • Adult Social Care
  • Afghanistan and Pakistan
  • Afghanistan: Nowzad
  • Afghanistan Refugees
  • Afghanistan Refugees (Christians)
  • Afghanistan Withdrawal
  • Age UK's Winter Warmth Campaign
  • Air Passenger Duty
  • Air Quality
  • Alcohol Duty
  • All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs)
  • Animal Research
  • Animal Testing - Dogs
  • Animal Welfare Legislation
  • Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill: Cats
  • Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill: Dogs
  • Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill
  • Arms Exports
  • Arms Exports: Israel
  • Arthritis
  • ASRU Change Programme
  • Assisted Suicide
  • Asylum Support and Employment
  • Aviation Industry Concerns
  • Badgers and Bovine TB
  • BBC Funding
  • BBC World Service
  • Behaviour in Schools
  • Bite Back Better Campaign
  • Bomb Disposal and Whales
  • Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
  • Breast Cancer
  • Building Safety Bill
  • Bus Deregulation
  • Business and Human Rights
  • Campaign - #CatchUpWithCancer
  • Cancer Research
  • Cancer Treatment
  • Carers and Unpaid Carers
  • Cash Availability and Acceptance
  • Channel 4
  • Child Maintenance Service (CMS)’s Collect and Pay Service
  • Child Poverty
  • Children with Sight Loss (Education)
  • Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
  • Climate Change
  • Commercial Energy Prices
  • Consular Services in Afghanistan
  • Conversion Therapy
  • COP26
  • COP26 Commitments (100 Days)
  • Coronavirus: Clinically Extremely Vulnerable
  • Coronavirus: Coronavirus Act
  • Coronavirus: Face Coverings
  • Coronavirus: Face Coverings in School
  • Coronavirus: Hospitality Support
  • Coronavirus: International Travel
  • Coronavirus: Mandatory Vaccination
  • Coronavirus: NHS and Social Care Staff (Vaccines)
  • Coronavirus: Provision of Tests
  • Coronavirus: Regulations and Living with COVID
  • Coronavirus: Self Isolation
  • Coronavirus: Support for the Self-Employed
  • Coronavirus: Testing (Childminders)
  • Coronavirus: Travel Industry Support
  • Coronavirus: Vaccines (Developing Countries)
  • Coronavirus: Vaccine Passports
  • Coronavirus: VAT Threshold
  • Cost of Living
  • Courier Employment Rights
  • Dangerous Dogs Act
  • Deaths Related to the Benefits System
  • Defibrillators and the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill
  • Dementia Research and Diagnosis
  • Democratic Freedoms in the UK
  • Derby County Football Club
  • Diabetes
  • Disability Benefit Assessments
  • Domestic Abuse (Serial Abusers & Stalkers)
  • Domestic Abuse (Time Limits)
  • Dr Liam Fox’s Down Syndrome Bill
  • Early Years Funding
  • Education and Development Globally
  • Elections Act
  • Elections Act - Blind and Partially Sighted Voters
  • Elections Act - Electoral Commission
  • Elections Act - First Past the Post
  • Elections Act - Joint Campaigning
  • Electronic Communications Code
  • Elephants and Ivory Sales
  • End Child Poverty Coalition
  • Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
  • Energy Price Cap
  • Energy Security Strategy
  • Environment Bill
  • Epilepsy
  • Epilepsy: Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Fairtrade Fortnight Campaign
  • Fire and Rehire Tactics
  • Fireworks
  • Football Governance
  • Football Index
  • Fracking
  • Free Trade Agreement with Australia
  • Fuel Duty and Prices
  • Fuel Shortages
  • Fur and Foie Gras
  • Future of the TV Licence
  • Gambling with Credit Cards
  • Gambling Regulation
  • Gas Boilers
  • Glue Traps
  • Good Law Project & Runnymede: Mike Coupe & Dido Harding
  • Government Contracts
  • Green Alternatives to Gas Boilers
  • Green Finance
  • Green Investment - 2021 Spending Review
  • Green New Deal
  • Guidance on Boycotts (Stop BDS)
  • Hamas
  • Hate Crime (Misogyny)
  • Health and Care Bill
  • Health and Care Bill: Integrated Care Boards and Private Sector Providers
  • Health and Care Bill: Privatisation
  • Health and Care Bill: Workforce
  • Health and Disability Green Paper
  • Heat Pumps
  • Hedgehogs
  • Hedgerows
  • HGV Driver Shortage
  • HIV and AIDS
  • Holiday Lets
  • Housing and the Queen’s Speech
  • Housing Emergency (Shelter)
  • Housing First
  • HS2 and the Environment
  • HS2: Cost Transparency
  • HS2: General
  • Human Rights Act
  • Hunting Act 2004
  • Illegal Immigration (Nationality and Borders Bill)
  • Improving Access to the Countryside
  • Intellectual Property
  • Interest on Student Loans
  • Internet Regulation
  • Islamophobia
  • Israel: Amnesty International
  • Ivory Sales
  • Judicial Review
  • Keeping Primates as Pets
  • TV Licence Fee
  • Live Animal Exports
  • Living Wage and Key Workers
  • Loan Charge
  • Local Electricity Bill
  • Maternity Services
  • Meadows and Grasslands
  • Medicinal Cannabis
  • Menopause
  • Mental Health
  • Mental Health Facilities
  • Mental Health Hubs (Children and Young People)
  • Midwifery Units
  • Migrant Channel Crossings
  • Modern Slavery
  • Motor Neurone Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • National Insurance Contributions
  • Nationality and Borders Act (Accommodation for Asylum Seekers)
  • Nationality and Borders Act (Asylum and Refugees)
  • Nationality and Borders Act (Clause 9)
  • Nationality and Borders Act (Clause 11)
  • Nationality and Borders Act (Overseas Asylum Processing)
  • Nationality and Borders Act (Unaccompanied Children)
  • Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
  • Neonicotinoids
  • New Plan for Immigration
  • NHS Pay
  • NHS Preparations for Winter
  • NHS Privatisation
  • Nigeria: Mubarak Bala
  • Offshore Wind
  • Oil Drilling and Cambo Oil Field
  • Online Marketplaces (Regulation)
  • Online Safety Bill (Misinformation)
  • Online Safety Bill (Pornography)
  • Online Safety Bill (Private Communications)
  • Online Safety Bill (Protecting Children from Online Porn)
  • Online Safety Bill (Suicide and Self-Harm)
  • Online Safety Bill (Women and Girls)
  • Onshore Wind
  • Onshore Wind (Planning)
  • Palestinian Human Right Defenders
  • Palliative Care
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Parental Bereavement
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Pavement Parking
  • Peat
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Police and Sarah Everard Case
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Climate Protesters)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Courts and Tribunals)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Data Extraction)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Parliament Square)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Protection of Retail Workers)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Protests)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Protests and Noise)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Protests Tactics)
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Unauthorised Encampments)
  • Polluter Pays Bill
  • Prescription Charges
  • Prisons (Violence) Bill
  • Private Rented Sector
  • Processing Asylum Claims in Rwanda
  • Proportional Property Tax
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Protection of Pollinators
  • Public Inquiry on COVID-19
  • Public Sector Pensions
  • Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Bill
  • Puppy and Kitten Sales
  • Radiotherapy
  • Rail Vs Air Travel
  • Reforming Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing
  • Right to Work Checks
  • Royal Mail
  • Sarcoma UK Drop-In Session
  • Save Our Pubs (CAMRA)
  • SEND Funding
  • Sentencing (Dangerous Driving)
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Shared Parental Leave
  • Social Care Cap (Means Test)
  • Stamp Duty Land Tax
  • State Pension
  • State Pension Age
  • Statutory Sick Pay
  • Stop and Search
  • Support for Deaf Pupils
  • Support for People with Disabilities
  • Support for Renters
  • Support for Road Hauliers
  • Support for the Pig Industry
  • Support for the Travel Industry
  • Sustainable Fishing
  • Tax Avoidance
  • Teachers’ Pay
  • Tourism and VAT
  • Training Collars for Dogs
  • Transport for Disabled People
  • Trophy Hunting
  • UK Foreign Aid
  • UK Trade and Business Commission’s First Annual Report
  • Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits - £20 per Week Uplift
  • Universal Credit Standard Allowance for Those Under 25
  • Universities: Antisemitism (IHRA Definition)
  • Uplands
  • Vaccinations for COVID-19
  • Valerie's Law
  • Vaping
  • VAT on Electric Vehicle Charging in Public Places
  • Violence Against Women and Girls
  • Voter ID
  • Voting System
  • Water Fluoridation
  • Wealth Tax
  • Welfare of Farm Animals
  • Young People’s Wellbeing

Andrew Selous MP South West Bedfordshire

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