Dangerous Dogs - CWU "Bite-Back" Campaign - Letter to All MP

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LTB 019/11- Dangerous Dogs - CWU "Bite-Back" Campaign - Letter to All MPs

No. 019 /11
Ref P18
Date: 7 January 2011


To: All Branches







Dear Colleagues




Dangerous Dogs - CWU "Bite-Back" Campaign - Letter to All MPs
The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department has written to all MPs in furtherance of the Union's 'Bite-Back' campaign. This letter is reproduced below for Branches and Health and Safety Reps information and will provide a summary update of where we
are with the campaign.

In the midst of all the current economic and industrial turmoil we have to ensure the coalition government does not push this matter aside and to that end we have been working hard to ensure the profile of the campaign remains high as a promised government announcement is imminent.

Can I thank all those CWU Branches and Reps who have taken the time to contact, write to and meet the MPs covering their local Branch areas on Campaign issues. It would assist greatly if this pressure is maintained as we have generated a high level of support
amongst back bench MPs from all political parties at Westminster as we did before that in Scotland and Northern Ireland. So please do please back up the below letter locally. Do ask MPs from all parties to sign EDM 1202.

Further reports will be made in due course.
Yours Sincerely
Dave Joyce
CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
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To: ALL Members Of Parliament
House Of Commons
Westminster
London SW1. OAA




Dear Colleagues,




Dangerous Dogs - CWU "Bite-Back" Campaign:


Attacks over Christmas
Over the Christmas period the issue of Dog Attacks was again in the news when on 23 December, 52 years old Barbara Williams was killed in a Dog Attack in Wallington and on Christmas Day 11 years old Finn O'Mahoney's face was ripped open in a dog attack in Wolverhampton. Both attacks were in the home on private property where the Dangerous Dogs Act does not apply.


Many MPs have been questioning Defra Minister of State James Paice and Minister Lord Henley on the issue. MPs from all parties are raising this key issue via questions, adjournment debates and Ten Minute Rule Bills and as such supporting the CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign. Thank you.


EDM 1202 - 'RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP'
Would you please consider supporting and signing EDM 1202:-
That this House believes that irresponsible dog ownership causes significant problems for the safety and welfare of both humans and animals; believes that to promote responsible dog ownership all dog owners should ensure their dogs are microchipped; notes that current legislation is proving inadequate to ensure sufficient protection for people and animals; believes there is a need to ensure there are sufficient resources at a local level potentially self-funded and a Bill that consolidates the legislation so that it has a genuine preventative effect, as well as tougher sanctions to address the problem; and calls on the Government to act forthwith and bring forward suitable proposals to achieve this. (Andrew Rosindell MP (Conservative. Romford) 14.12.2010)


CWU Bite-Back Campaign
As you may know the Communication Workers Union (CWU) launched our 'Bite-Back' campaign in 2008 following two Dog attacks where the Postmen victims (Keith Davies in Cambridge and Paul Coleman in Sheffield) were nearly killed and the fact that 6000 Royal Mail and Parcelforce Delivery staff are attacked by dogs every year. A copy of the CWU detailed submission to the Defra Dangerous Dogs Consultation is attached for your perusal. Our 'Bite-Back' Campaign is indeed mentioned in the Defra Consultation Document. We want to see the Law apply everywhere, extending it to private land plus we want to see the introduction of Dog Control Notices, compulsory Microchipping, compulsory Third Party Insurance, better enforcement and harsher court penalties.


Attacks on Children
Six young children under the age of 6 have been killed in dog attacks in the last 4 years.

During 2010 a number of young children received severe disfiguring facial and other injuries sustained in vicious dog attacks. See attached copies of photos and short press report clips of 7 of the children injured in Dog Attacks during 2010, the last one on Christmas Day.


Those Children Killed:-
17.04.10 Zumer Ahmed (F), 18-months, Crawley, American Bulldog
30.11.09 John-Paul Massey (M), 4 years, Liverpool, Pit Bull Terrier type
07.02.09 Jaden Mack (M), 3 months, South Wales, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Jack Russell
28.12.07 Archie-Lee Hirst (M), 1 year, Wakefield, Rottweiler
01.01.07 Ellie Lawrenson (F), 5 years, St Hellens, Pit Bull Terrier type
23.09.06 Cadey-Lee Deacon (F), 5 months, Leicester, 2 Rottweilers


Additionally several adults have been killed. You will have seen the sad news of the death of Barbara Williams in Wallington on 23 December. Three I'm aware of include:
23.12.10 Barbara Williams (F), 52, Wallington Surrey, Belgian Mastiff
01.05.09 Andrew Walker (M), 21, Blackpool, 2 Alsatians
27.01.08 James Rehill (M), 78, Plaistow London, Rottweiler


Joint Statement - 20 Organisations
Along with CWU, 20 different organisations agreed to back the campaign and sent a joint statement to the Prime Minister calling for the government to take action and change the law and deal with dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners! The organisations signing the joint statement were:-TUC, Unite, GMB, Unison, Prospect, Animal Welfare Charities RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Kennel Club, Guide Dogs For The Blind, PDSA, Blue Cross, Police Federation, National Dog Wardens Association, British Vets Association and Royal College of Nursing. The CWU delivered the Joint Statement to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.


Dangerous Dogs Parliamentary Event, House of Commons, Wednesday 15 December
MPs Luciana Berger MP Liverpool Labour, Angie Bray MP Ealing Central Conservative and Martin Horwood MP Cheltenham Lib/Dem sponsored this event with the GLA and MPs from all parties attended. I don't know if you attended. (Pity more MPs weren't there in fact). I spoke at the meeting along with a child victim's mother, a Met Police Status Dogs Unit Spokesperson, an RSPCA spokesperson and Kit Malthouse Deputy Mayor GLA.


Previous Government
CWU, RSPCA and Angela Smith MP (Penistone & Stockbridge) were instrumental in getting former PM Gordon Brown and the previous Labour government to launch the Defra consultation and commit to changes. (See CWU detailed submission attached).


Commitments from the PM and DPM
I subsequently obtained written commitments from the current PM David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg prior to the General Election that they would make changes to the Dangerous Dogs Legislation (See copies attached).


Lord Henley
More recently Lord Henley for the government has acknowledged that Dangerous dogs are a major issue and reiterated the government's commitment to effectively tackle dangerous dogs and bad, irresponsible owners. However, we are receiving mixed messages and the uncertain position of the government is a matter of concern to CWU, RSPCA, GLA and other campaigning organisations who want the Dangerous Dogs Laws modernised and strengthened. Backbench MPs from all parties now support the call for much needed changes to Dangerous Dogs Legislation covering England and Wales. An announcement has been promised in this new year!


Scotland and Northern Ireland
In response to the CWU Bite-Back Campaign and other campaigning organisations both the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Government will bring in new Dangerous Dogs Laws in 2011 which extend the law to private land as well as introduce the measures we are calling on the Westminster government to introduce; e.g. Dog Control Notices, Microchipping, Owner Accountability, better enforcement, harsher penalties etc.


Extending Dangerous Dogs Law to cover Private Land
A key area of interest to the CWU and the primary objective of the Union's campaign is to get the law extended to cover private land and premises because 70% of dog attacks on Postal Workers occur on private property (private paths, gardens, lanes, drives, roads, yards, firms, farms, car parks etc) or unadopted land where the Law does not apply and as such irresponsible owners are immune from criminal prosecution. That is why the law must be extended to cover private land. The recent government announcement by Lord Henley did confirm that government were looking closely at attacks on private property.


In Defra's consultation 30 of the 31 Key Interested Parties or 97% were in favour of extending the law to private land.


Additionally, on 20 July in Ealing Central MP Angie Bray's Adjournment debate, James Paice acknowledged "There is also the serious problem of attacks on public workers, particularly Postal workers, in gardens or drives."


Dog Control Notices (DCNs)
We strongly welcome the fact that nearly 70% of the Defra consultation respondents support the introduction of Dog Control Notices (DCNs), another of the Union's key objectives. Police and Dog Wardens currently have no proactive or pre-emptive powers to order owners to take action to avoid attacks. Introducing DCNs would fill that gap. Our discussions with the Police Federation, Association of Chief Police Officers and the Dog Wardens Association has established that they all fully support changing and strengthening the law to make if effective with this being a key new tool in that regard.


Compulsory Microchipping
We are pleased to see 84 percent of the Defra consultation respondents in favour of the introduction of compulsory microchipping which will help positively identify the owners of Dangerous Dogs and we would like to see this as part of Compulsory Dog License scheme as is to be introduced in Northern Ireland in February.


Third-Party Insurance
The CWU also wants to see compulsory Third-Party Insurance for Dogs introduced, as hundreds of seriously injured Postal Workers are unable to obtain compensation for serious debilitating injuries every year in the UK. In many cases uninsured owners fail to compensate badly injured Postal Workers and ironically in other cases owners are successful in defending claims for compensation by saying that the dog acted out of character and had never done it before or in cases where Postal Workers have fingers bitten off whilst putting letters through the door, owners claim that the Postal Worker was trespassing. For these reasons we need the government to introduce compulsory third party insurance. This is one aspect, the implications of which are misunderstood by the government and the public and an issue which has been misrepresented in the media as either a 'stealth tax' or 'penalising good owners'. This is a nonsense because good owners will be insured anyway and the cost is very low. Dog Trust Membership of £20 includes Third Party Insurance Cover for member’s dogs up to £1 million. (£10 for pensioners and unwaged).


All Party Group Animal Welfare Meeting 14 December
I spoke at the above meeting and forwarded a copy of my 30 November 2010 letter to the Minister Lord Henley (which is unanswered) to APGAW Chair Neil Parish MP who said he was keen to write to the Minister on behalf of APGAW to ask for Government action.

Cross-Party delegation to Lord Henley and the Prime Minister.
We press for a deputation of CWU, RSPCA and MPs from all three major parties to meet the Minister and PM to discuss this matter.


'Draft' Legislation.
A draft bill drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers, the RSPCA and the National Dog Warden Association, supported by CWU and other organisations has been submitted to Defra and offers an 'off the shelf' solution. Lord Redesdale also has a similar bill in the Lords.


Westminster "Core Group" on Dangerous Dogs.
This cross-party group was formed earlier this year consisting of CWU, RSPCA plus MPs from all parties and. Thank you for all those members supporting the group.


Conclusion
We are now at a crucial stage in our campaign. The CWU Campaign has already helped convince the governments of Scotland and Northern Ireland to change the law with the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act and the Northern Ireland Dogs (Amendment) Bill which will both become Law in 2011. These Laws will apply to private land, will introduce Dog Control Orders and will enforce compulsory dog licences and/or micro-chipping as well as increasing court penalties for irresponsible dog owners amongst other measures.


Everything now rests on Westminster in relation to Laws in England and Wales. The Laws on dog ownership must be improved, and the CWU with our supporting organisations - animal charities, unions and law enforcement agencies etc demand the coalition government to act and bring forward legislation that addresses the deficient laws effectively.

· There are 10 Million Dogs in the UK.
· Around half a million people are bitten or attacked by dogs each year.
· The cost to the NHS is huge.
· There are fewer than 650 successful DDA convictions annually.
· 6000 CWU members fall victim to dog attacks annually.
· The combined personal cost to Postal workers, cost to Royal Mail and to NHS is huge.
· The Defra Consultation returned 4,250 responses.
· New dangerous dogs legislation is needed across the UK.
· From a public and worker safety perspective the current situation is unsustainable.
· This issue cannot be put off any longer and the Government needs to take action now.

Please support the campaign and press the government to act!

Thank You and My Best Regards



Dave Joyce
CWU National Health & Safety Officer