§ Mr. GregoryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government intend to bring into effect the new provisions on dog control contained in the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
§ Mr. BaldryThe dog control provisions in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 provide for new duties to be placed on district and London borough authorities to collect and detain stray dogs, and to enforce the existing requirement that dogs should wear a collar and 673W identification tag in a public place. We propose to bring these new measures into effect on 1 April 1992. My Department will consult local authorities on a draft circular in the summer, and will publish draft regulations in the autumn.
My officials are holding discussions with the local authority associations and other interested bodies about the additional resource implications of implementing the new duties and powers. I have been most impressed by the initiatives and enthusiasm shown by the many authorities which already employ dog wardens. I would encourage others to follow their example by similarly exercising their existing powers to the full.