§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 with a view to including Rottweilers within the316W scope of section 1 of that Act and seek to extend the Act to give mandatory powers to local authorities to stipulate that dogs falling within section 1 of the Act must be kept in secure and screened compounds.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe powers available under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 apply only to dogs bred for fighting or having the characteristics of a dog bred for fighting and could not therefore be used in respect of Rottweilers.
Section 2 of the 1991 Act provides a reserve power for the Secretary of State, subject to consultation and the agreement of Parliament, to impose certain conditions on other types of dog considered to represent a serious danger to the public.
My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to use this power but we shall keep the matter under review in the light of the operation of existing measures for controlling dogs, including section 3 of the 1991 Act. This provides tough penalties against those who allow dogs of any type to become dangerously out of control in a public place. We consider that this provides a powerful incentive to dog owners to exercise proper and responsible control of their dogs.