§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether any local authorities who have adopted either, or both, of the regulations under the Dogs Act, 1906, have since revoked it, and for what cause; whether the Board can compel them to continue the regulations when they have been once adopted; and, if any local authorities have revoked these regulations, will he give a list of such authorities?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Board are not aware that any local authority has revoked regulations, either as to the wearing of collars by dogs or for their control at night. The local authority for West Sussex, however, modified their regulations as to the control of dogs at night, so as to restrict their application to purely agricultural districts. I shall be happy to make inquiries with regard to any case in998W which I am informed that the regulations made by a local authority under the Act have been revoked. With regard to the second part of the question, it is within the power of the Board to make an Order either of general or of local application, under Section 2 (1) (b) of the Dogs Act, 1906.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his Department has received any complaints of sheep-worrying by dogs within the last twelve months; and, if so, from what counties?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANOne complaint was received from the Isle of Skye in May last, and the Chief Constable for the county of Durham stated in his last quarterly report that there were twenty-eight cases of sheep-worrying in that county during the quarter.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he will give a list of those local authorities in Great Britain who have made orders under the Dogs Act, 1906, prescribing the wearing of collars by dogs, and a list of local authorities in Great Britain who have made regulations under the same Act as to the straying of dogs at night?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANTwo hundred and sixty-five local authorities have made regulations prescribing the wearing of collars by dogs, and orders of the Board to the same effect are in operation in the rest of Great Britain. The wearing of collars by dogs, subject to certain special exceptions, is therefore required throughout the country. The Board have made orders empowering the local authorities of 188 areas to make regulations for the control of dogs at night. Of these, forty-seven county authorities and nineteen urban authorities have made regulations which have been confirmed by the Board. I shall be happy to send the hon. Member a list of the authorities, but I do not think it would be worth while to print it in the Votes.