CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign LTB621/11

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Letter to Branches




No. 621/11
Ref P18
Date: 12 July 2011

To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues

CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign - Letter to James Paice MP Defra Minister of State re: Adjournment Debate on Dangerous Dogs 6th July 2011:

LTB 607/11 reported that Parliament had debated the CWU's "Bite Back" Campaign and the campaign had received a boost on Wednesday 6th July when a Special Debate took place on Dangerous Dogs in the House of Commons in which a well attended debate saw politicians from all parties speak in support of changing out-dated UK laws, many referring directly to CWU "Bite-Back" Campaign as the reason behind the public profile of the issue and the reason it had become before the parliaments in the UK. All MPs participating in the debate note the danger posed to postal workers, children and others by irresponsible dog owners and the need for change.

At the request of the Union the Labour opposition are fully backing the Union's campaign and have made a full, open offer to work co-operatively with the coalition government, giving cross-party support to facilitating the early introduction of a new bill and swift passage through parliament so securing reforms that will be in the interests of postal workers, animal welfare, employee safety generally and public safety. The Union has welcomed the positive debate and the support from MPs from all major parties, urging the coalition government to fulfill their pre-election pledge to the CWU and make an early positive announcement regarding new dangerous dogs legislation to protect Postmen and Women, 6000 of whom are attacked by dogs every year!.

Scottish and Irish postal worker members, telecom workers and others are already benefiting from new controls on dangerous dogs, introduced as a result of the Union's campaign. The new Scottish Law came into effect on 26 February with Northern Ireland's similar new law became law on 8 March. The Scottish Parliament passed the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Northern Ireland Assembly passed the Dogs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 both of which update Westminster's original 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.

We need the Westminster government to follow the Scottish and Irish lead by extending the law to include private property and dog owners homes so closing the loophole which gives immunity to irresponsible owners from criminal prosecution when Postal Workers were attacked and injured on private land and premises which occurs in 70% of all dog attack cases on Postal Workers! Unfortunately the Minister's reply (Jim Paice) to the 6th July debate was extremely poor with no new information and he gave no definite indication of when the coalition government may take action on this important issue. As part of our continuing efforts to press for a change in the law a letter has been sent to Minister Jim Paice, copied to the other Defra Ministers, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Opposition Leader.

We are along with other supporting organisations and back bench MPs planning the next phases of our campaign in the knowledge of overwhelming cross-party support from back bench MP of all parties. We will be pressing Defra and Home Office Ministers for action. Several meetings of MPs and Lords in the Houses of Parliament have been addressed on the issue. CWU and RSPCA have been facilitating a cross-party Dangerous Dogs working group of MPs which has become a powerful pressure group inside the houses of parliament. The CWU has written to all MPs and Lords on several occasions and along with RSPCA and 20 plus other organisations including Trade Unions, Animal Welfare Charities, Police, Dog Wardens, Royal College of Nurses and British Vets organisations have formed a strong campaign alliance which has issued two detailed joint statements to government, MPs and Lords and organised several events, meetings and petitions one of which has 11,000 signatures and one has 5,000 signature. 6000 Postal Workers and 400 Telecom Workers are attacked by Dogs every year. Two Postmen were nearly killed in attacks in Sheffield 2007 and Cambridge 2008.

BITE-BACK CAMPAIGN AIMS
- new UK wide consolidated and strengthened Dog Control Laws, that prevents dog attacks on Postal Workers, Telecom Workers, other workers, children and the public,
- dog control laws to apply everywhere including private property,
- the introduction of new preventative Dog Control Notices (DCNs) to be issued by Dog Wardens and Police Officers,
- compulsory Microchipping and/or Licensing of all dogs,
- compulsory Third Party Insurance cover for dogs,
- greater powers for and better enforcement of dog control Law by the Police and Local Authorities Dog Wardens,
- harsher sentences by the Courts for offending dangerous dog owners,
- better information, education and training for dog owners,
- raising public awareness of the serious problem and to generate support.
For more information, see the CWU's "Bite Back Campaign" Web Site pages at: http://www.cwu.org/dangerous-dogs-bite-back.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

See attached copy of letter to Defra Minister Jim Paice MP.

Best Regards

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

Att.

Communication Workers Union
Dave Joyce National Health & Safety Officer
150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RX
Tel: 020 8971 7365/7308 E-Mail: djoyce@cwu.org


12 July 2011


James Paice MP Minister of State
Defra
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR


Dear Jim,

Adjournment Debate Dangerous Dogs 6th July 2011 - CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign:

I'm sure you'll agree with me that the recent, well attended positive adjournment debate on 6th July on dangerous dogs in Westminster Hall sent a very powerful, cross-party message that across the house of commons is a very united view in support of the CWU's 'Bite-Back' campaign that the current totally ineffective Dangerous dogs legislation is in need of urgent change, replacing the mish-mash of useless laws with a consolidated, modernised, updated Law which is effective, easy to understand and enforce and which meets the aspirations of the CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign objectives to change the outdated and ineffective Dangerous Dogs Laws.

I am most grateful for the opposition offering cross-party support to the government to introduce a new bill and I'm grateful for all those MPs from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour and DUP parties that spoke in support during the debate.

To make it easy for Government a suitable Bill has been prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers, RSPCA, National Dog Wardens Association with CWU support and has been with Defra, on the table so to speak, for some time, having been submitted during the Defra public consultation.

With the greatest of respect, the only disappointment in the debate on 6th July was the extremely indecisive and somewhat negative response from you Jim which didn't deal with the issues or reply in any firm way and your speech was similar to those which you made last year in response to an earlier adjournment debate, a Ten Minute Rule Bill debate and Ministers questions!

I wrote to you on 3 March this year pointing out that in the Defra Dangerous Dogs public consultation the 31 Key Organisations/Stakeholders responding were 97% in favour of extending the law to cover private land but you Jim keep ignoring that and referring to individuals responding, taken separately of whom only 37% were in favour of such a change! I suggest you add the appropriate weight to those replying and you should focus on the former rather than the latter as the key organisations represent a lot of people. The CWU alone represents 250,000 people which include the 6000 dog bite victims a year.

You also frustratingly referred to the need to ensure a home owner is not investigated as an offender and face prosecution because their dog defended the property on which it was brought up. This has again been dealt adequately within the draft bill submitted to Defra by the Association of Chief Police Officers, National Dog wardens Association and RSPCA with CWU support. I can't understand why you keep repeating this point also.

The Scottish and Northern Ireland government's didn't have a problem with these issues and neither in fact did the Republic of Ireland - all have now introduced new dangerous dogs laws which apply everywhere including private property - burglars, trespassers and criminals are of course not protected from dogs defending their owners or the owners property from crime by such laws.

Ministers have been told by all the key stakeholder organisations that that better enforcement of present legislation will not work. How can you enforce something that doesn't work and has major gaps!

Ministers including yourself have also been told that the Home Office proposals on ASBO replacements, i.e. Crime & Community Protection orders will not deal with the issue that concern workers attacked whilst going about their job, neither will the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act which you suggested on 6th July. The Police Federation, Association of Chief Police Officers and National Dog wardens Association, CWU amongst others have repeatedly told Defra and Home Office ministers this. Yet you again referred to looking at this review as a possible solution!

You did at least confirm that the situation is worsening and acknowledged there is no doubt that there's a need for change.

Prime Minister David Cameron said to me in a letter dated 30 April 2010 "We support extending the Dangerous Dogs Act to cover all places including Private Property" - So what are you waiting for now that Scotland and Northern Ireland has already done it ?

On 20 July (Hansard: Column 328) in Ealing MP Angie Bray's Adjournment debate, in the House of Commons, you Jim acknowledged "There is also the serious problem of attacks on public workers, particularly postal workers, in gardens or drives."
 
On 3 Feb 2011 (Hansard: Column 1034) in answer to the question from Angela Smith MP (Penistone and Stocksbridge) regarding extending the law relating to private property, as supported by postal workers unions, you replied that you believe that existing legislation might be slightly inadequate! That's "the understatement of the year".

Never the less the campaign continues to grow in support as does pressure from outside parliament and across the house from back bench MPs on all sides, calling on the government to deliver pre-election pledges from the Prime Minister to the CWU and in the Coalition Agreement.

6000 Postal Workers and 400 Telecom Workers are attacked by Dogs every year. Two Postmen were nearly killed in attacks in Sheffield 2007 and Cambridge 2008. Many other workers visiting homes and commercial premises are injured by dogs. Children and Adults are being killed and injured by ferocious dogs with irresponsible owners - This cannot be allowed to continue.
PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY AND REPLY IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND JIM - PLEASE DON'T LEAVE IT TO YOUR ADVISORS WHO ARE ADVISING YOU BADLY:
My Regards & Best Wishes

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

CC: David Cameron Prime Minister
Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister
Ed Milliband Opposition Leader,
Lord Henley Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Caroline Spelman MP, Defra Secretary of State