§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges made under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 have been contested in court; how many appeals have been lodged; and what is his estimate of the total cost to public funds of the implementation of this measure. [2963]
§ Mr. KirkhopeDetailed information is not collected centrally on numbers of persons charged for offences, nor about pleas and subsequent appeals. However, 2,811 persons were prosecuted for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act between 1992 and 1994; in the same period 1,226 were found guilty, and a further 597 were cautioned.
Information on the cost to the police, local authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the courts of operating the Dangerous Dogs Act is not held centrally.