§ Sir Donald Kaberryasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he has taken of the proposals by the Leeds city council and other local 535W authorities concerning the control of stray dogs in urban environments and their proposition to transfer the control and licensing of dogs to each district council, to discharge their functions and create a dog warden service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI am aware that Leeds city council is in favour of implementation of the recommendations of the inter-departmental working party on dogs and of powers for local authorities to determine locally the level of dog licence fees.
My right hon. Friend has already announced in his answer on 3 August 1978 to my hon. Friend the Member for Middleton and Prestwich (Mr. Callaghan), that the Government accept the main finding of the working party, concerning the transfer of responsibility for control of stray dogs from the police to local authorities, and the provision of specific powers for local authorities to operate dog warden services.—[Vol. 955, c. 750–1.] The Government are in the course of consulting the local authority associations, on the question of powers to determine locally the level of dog licence fees.