§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many
PERSONS PROCEEDED AGAINST FOR NOT HAVING A VALID DOG LICENCE —BY OUTCOME AND SENTENCE Number of persons Sentence Year Persons proceeded against Found guilty Absolute discharge Conditional discharge Fined Otherwise dealt with 1973 … … 3,836 3,700 69 19 3,612 — 1974 … … 3,472 3,323 51 19 3,251 2 1975* … … 4,058 3,881 83 16 3,782 — * Provisional figures. No official figures of the total dog population exist; it has been estimated to be between 5 million and 6 million. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that in England and Wales in March 1975—the latest date for which figures are available—2,611,039 licences had been issued, but since it is not possible to say how many unlicensed dogs are exempt from the licensing requirement no reliable estimate can be made of the loss of revenue involved.