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Control of Dogs

I beg to move,"That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require dog-owners to have their dogs micro-chipped; to set a minimum age for dog ownership; to give courts powers to ban households from dog ownership; to require local authorities to provide kennelling for stray dogs and to nominate responsible officers for dog control; to extend the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to private property; to empower the police and local authorities to issue dog control notices; to give police support officers powers to enforce byelaws relating to dogs; to require owners of breeding dogs to be accredited; to set minimum standards for accredited dog breeders; to give local authorities powers to enter premises used for dog breeding; to regulate access to dog ownership data; and for connected purposes." Notwithstanding its title, the Bill is less about the control of dogs than about the control of dog owners. This is a problem that many of my hon. Friends have already raised in the House, some by means of private Members' Bills. I think we can all agree that it is the fault not of the dogs themselves but of their owners, many of whom are too young to take on the responsibility of owning and training a dog. I do not believe that there is such a thing as a dog that is inherently vicious. If a dog is given tender loving care and training from a young age, it can be gentle.