§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought(a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully under (i) the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (ii) the Dogs Act 1871, broken down by police authority, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [57]
§ Mr. MorleyI have been asked to reply.
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Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences under the Dogs Act 1871 and Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, by police force area, England and Wales 1997 Dogs Act 1871 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Police force area Defendants prosecuted Defendants convicted Defendants prosecuted Defendants convicted Avon and Somerset 19 1 1 1 Bedfordshire 7 2 2 — Cambridgeshire 4 — 5 3 Cheshire 9 — 10 6 Cleveland 6 2 9 2 Cumbria 2 — 3 1 Derbyshire 14 4 2 1 Devon and Cornwall 24 2 16 8 Dorset 6 — 11 6 Durham 16 10 6 5 Essex 29 9 22 5 Gloucestershire 15 — 3 2 Greater Manchester 23 6 22 13 Hampshire 14 3 34 20 Hertfordshire 3 — 1 1 Humberside 5 2 2 — Kent — — 1 1 Lancashire 6 — 30 14 Leicestershire 9 — 9 8 Lincolnshire 25 16 2 1 London, City of — — — — Merseyside 2 1 12 5 Metropolitan police 24 4 80 42 Norfolk — — 3 3 Northamptonshire 2 — 6 1 Northumbria 17 3 35 10 North Yorkshire 13 — 11 4 Nottinghamshire 12 — 6 6 South Yorkshire 2 1 19 8 Staffordshire 4 — 13 6 Suffolk 7 1 5 2 Surrey 2 1 4 3 Sussex 4 2 25 12 Thames Valley 10 1 15 7 The following table contains the readily available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database.
It shows, for 1997, 1998 and 1999, the number of defendants proceeded against and those found guilty of offences under the Dogs Act 1871 and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in England and Wales by police force area.
Information for 2000 is not yet available.
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Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences under the Dogs Act 1871 and Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, by police force area, England and Wales 1997 Dogs Act 1871 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Police force area Defendants prosecuted Defendants convicted Defendants prosecuted Defendants convicted Warwickshire 1 — 3 2 West Mercia 13 4 14 4 West Midlands 7 1 16 10 West Yorkshire 33 2 14 6 Wiltshire 6 5 5 3 Dyfed Powys 7 — 15 5 Gwent 18 8 1 — North Wales 58 5 1 — South Wales 14 2 10 4 England and Wales 492 98 504 241 Source:
Crime and Criminal Justice Unit, Home Office