§ 53. Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that all dogs used for security purposes shall be trained to police approved standards, subjected to regular checks by veterinary surgeons, and not used for security purposes other than in the presence of a handler trained to police standards.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the growing number of persons and organisations establishing themselves as suppliers of guard dogs, and factory guard dog companies, many with lack of knowledge of handling and caring for these dogs, where deliberate near starvation of the animals is practised to make them ferocious; and whether he will initiate legislation for a system of a special guard dog licensing and registration scheme, under controlled conditions, supervised by his Department and/or the local authorities.
§ Mr. Ronald Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will take steps to ensure that trained dog-handlers are available on all sites where guard dogs are used for security patrols;
(2) if he will consider introducing legislation requiring commercial security organisations using dogs for security patrol to be registered, and subject to the same inspection as the police force, including regular examination of the guard dogs by properly qualified persons.
§ Mr. MaudlingI should like to express my deep sympathy, and, I am sure, the 181W sympathy of the whole House, for the boy who was injured, and for his family.
I am consulting the police and the security industry. I shall consider, in the light of the full report I have called for, what lessons are to be learned from this tragic incident.