CWU 'Bite Back' Campaign - Dogs (Amendment) Bill (NI)

[TrueBlueTerrier]

CWU 'Bite Back' Campaign - Dogs (Amendment) Bill (Northern Ireland):

LTB 484/10 - RE: CWU 'Bite Back' Campaign - Dogs (Amendment) Bill (Northern Ireland):

To view this download, please click here
No. 484/10
Ref P18/10
Date: 1st June 2010


To: All Branches


Dear Colleagues


RE: CWU 'Bite Back' Campaign - Dogs (Amendment) Bill (Northern Ireland):

Further to LTB 453/10 dated 24 May and LTB 398/10 dated 7 May, the Dogs (Amendment) Bill (Northern Ireland) was introduced in to the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development (DARD) Minister Michelle Gildernew MP, MLA and has passed its first stage on 24 May 2010.
As with other parts of the UK, we have made exceptional progress in Northern Ireland with the CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign in respect of our progressive discussions and input, working with the NI government and discussions that have secured the support of all five main political parties (DUP, Sinn Féin, UUP, SDLP and Alliance) for the bill to receive cross-party support.
The Minister believes that the new NI legislation when enacted, will be the strongest dog control legislation in the UK.


The new Northern Ireland Dog Control Bill will include:

compulsory micro-chipping of dogs;
compulsory dog licences;

scope for dog wardens to attach control order conditions to a dog licence where a dog's behaviour has been unruly and given cause for concern;

an increased dog licence fee to £12.50 (with concessionary rates for the elderly, those on benefits and owners of neutered dogs) so that councils can recover more of the cost of their dog warden services;

a new offence of failing to prevent a dog from attacking and injuring another person's dog;

fixed penalties for licence and minor offences;

increased fines and penalties for serious offences;

strengthening of the strict exemption conditions under which a dog of a prohibited type might be exempted from the ban;
the law will apply everywhere on private as well as public land and premises.

The Minister informed us that when the Bill reaches the Committee stage, CWU will be invited to give evidence at Stormont.

A copy of the Dog (Amendment) Bill (Northern Ireland) as introduced along with the NI Assembly Explanatory and Financial Memorandum are attached.

Scotland
The Scottish Government passed a new Law, the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act on 23 April and it will come in to force in around February 2011.

England and Wales
The Defra public consultation on changing the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 closes today 1 June and a detailed CWU response has been submitted. In an exchange or correspondence the new Prime Minister David Cameron has given the CWU an assurance that the new government intends to continue with the proposals to change the law.


Conclusion
The CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department has been campaigning hard across the UK since the launch of our campaign, fighting for the Union's primary objectives which are; to get in place a UK wide Laws that better prevents dog attacks on Postal Workers, to get the dog control laws to apply on private property and premises where Postal delivery staff have to go, to see the introduction of new preventative Dog Control Notices (Dog ASBOs), to bring in measures to make owners more accountable and responsible for the actions of their dogs, for better enforcement of the Law by the Police and Local Authorities, for harsher sentences by the Courts for offending dangerous dog owners, for the introduction compulsory Insurance cover and Microchipping of all dogs. The CWU campaign has been based on raising awareness and highlighting the serious problem we have with attacks by dogs on people which can be very serious incidents with the real risk of severe injury or disfigurement.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[brothermagrew]

Scotland
The Scottish Government passed a new Law, the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act on 23 April and it will come in to force in around February 2011.

Confused and not quite right as - The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 22nd April 2010 and received Royal Assent on 26th May 2010.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scot ... 009_en.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Note: Crown copyright).