§ Mr. Hillasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for each of the years 1971, 1976 and 1981, how many unidentified dogs were caught and destroyed; how many successful prosecutions there were for fouling the footpath; and what the penalty was for fouling the footpath.
§ Mr. MayhewThe central records available to us do not include information on the destruction of unidentified dogs or show separately the prosecutions specified. The data available to us, which may be incomplete, relate to all criminal offences relating to dogs under local Acts and byelaws and show 241 persons found guilty of such offences in England and Wales in 1971, 188 in 1976 and 199 in 1981. In each of these years 95 per cent. or more of these persons were fined. The maximum sentence that can be imposed for such offences is a fine of£50.