Taking the lead
Walkies! Lord Redesdale's Dog Control Bill - which looked as if it had been humanely disposed of back in January - will now have its committee stage in the House of Lords on 4 March.
Lib Dem peer Lord Redesdale pulled the bill when last minute amendments were put down in January, making it impossible to complete its committee stage in the narrow time slot then scheduled. Now he'll have another go, delighting the organisations supporting his attempt to reform Ken Baker's 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
The Dog Control Bill would target the behaviour of any dog, and its owner, via Dog Control Notices - inevitably nicknamed DOGBOs. Backers of the bill say they're designed to identify potentially dangerous dogs, regardless of breed, before a serious attack happens. They argue that millions of pounds of public money and resources have been wasted by police authorities in seizing dogs simply for being of a particular breed, adding that £10m has been spent by the Metropolitan Police alone in the past three years simply to implement the Dangerous Dogs Act requirements relating to the seizure, kennelling and euthanasia of banned breeds.
The bill is backed by the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), which includes animal welfare organisations, vets and local authorities.
Lord Redesdale is optimistic that the Lords will now pass his bill - but it will then need a sponsor to take it through the Commons. Governments are seldom enthusiastic about private members' legislation, but maybe this one will find favour, since it offers the prospect of some serious savings for cash-strapped police authorities. We shall see.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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