§ 33. Mr. Championasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many local authorities have made an Order under the Road Traffic Act, 1956, designating a road upon which dogs are not permitted unless on a lead.
§ Mr. NugentUp to 31st December last, 84 Orders have been submitted for confirmation; of these we have confirmed or agreed to confirm 41 and rejected seven. The remainder are under consideration. Fourteen orders are actually in operation.
§ Mr. ChampionIs the Minister aware that if the law of averages is anything to go by, before the end of this year 23 people will be killed, 600 seriously injured and some 2,000 slightly injured 1037 as a result of accidents on the roads caused by dogs? Will he not stimulate the local authorities to propose to him many more Orders than have been proposed to date?
§ Mr. NugentI think it is essentially a matter for local authorities to decide. The enforcement will be difficult, to say the least of it, and co-operation from all concerned will be needed to make orders effective. I think that the present arrangement is right.