Coalition government backs dangerous dogs reform
12th May 2010
CWU national health, safety and environment officer Dave Joyce has pledged to keep new Prime Minister David Cameron to his pre-election promise to tighten up Britain's feeble dangerous dogs laws.
Last month, Dave Joyce wrote to all of the party leaders, informing them of the union's ongoing efforts to win new legal protections for postal and telecoms workers - and many other public-service workers - who have to enter private premises in the course of their duties.
"Mr Cameron wrote back to me personally," explained Dave Joyce, adding: "And he promised that, if elected, he would support each of the key aims of our 'Bite-back' campaign."
In Mr Cameron's letter, he told the CWU: "We support extending dangerous dogs law to cover all places including private property, so that postal workers for example, can be protected from dangerous dogs, and we support giving police and councils more powers to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs by the introduction of Dog Control Notices."
His letter - dated 30.04.10 - thanks the union for raising the issue and concludes: "I look forward to working with the CWU in the weeks and months ahead to better prevent dangerous dogs continuing to cause such injuries."
Dave Joyce said today that, "now that Mr Cameron is the new Prime Minister, the CWU is determined that these words will be matched by action - and action sooner rather than later."
Former prime minister Gordon Brown's government launched a three-month official consultation into dangerous dogs laws back in March. This process concludes on June 1 and the CWU is looking at that date as an ideal time for the start of the legislative process to reform and tighten up the law.
"And," Dave Joyce continued: "The fact that there is a coalition with the Liberal Democrats is not a reason to delay legislation, because I also wrote to their party leader - now the Deputy Prime Minister - Nick Clegg before the election on the same issue.
"Although Mr Clegg did not reply personally, a member of his "election response team" Bess Mayhew wrote to us promising to "reform dangerous dogs legislation so that it targets irresponsible owners and specific animals rather than breeds."
