Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Luke Evans (Conservative) on Thursday, 11 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2026. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Friday, 19 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dangerous Dogs: Children

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made about the [i] effectiveness of the potential means of enforcement of the prohibition on children being left unsupervised with banned breeds, and [ii] the consequences to the dog owner for the child being left unsupervised.

Answer

Enforcement of the Dangerous Dogs Act is a matter for the police, who have existing powers to take action where necessary. These powers apply to all conditions of exemption, including the prohibition on leaving children unsupervised with banned breed dogs, which takes effect from 1 November 2026.

If non-compliance with the condition is identified, they can take enforcement action in line with those powers. This may include seizing a dog and pursuing prosecution of the owner where appropriate.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
9135
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Children Enforcement Protection Dangerous dogs
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk