§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice or recommendations his Department gives to councils considering banning dogs in parks or other public places.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesCouncils are informed that I will confirm such byelaws only if they relate to small enclosed parks or to enclosed parts of parks or other areas which require special protection, such as children's play areas, and I am satisfied that there are suitable alternative facilities for exercising dogs. I would not be prepared to confirm a byelaw prohibiting dogs from all the parks in a particular council's area or from any park, or part of a park, which did not require special protection; and my Department will in future ask a local authority to seek the views of an organisation representing dog-owners if the authority wishes to ban dogs from the whole of a park.