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Prime Minister Meets CWU to Discuss New Dog Laws

4th February 2010

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, has welcomed progress in the union's campaign to get dangerous dogs legislation changed after national officer Dave Joyce met the Prime Minister yesterday (Wednesday). "It's great news that Gordon Brown has taken a personal interest in this campaign" said Billy. "Current dangerous dogs laws leave many workers at risk so backing better protection is a win-win for politicians, workers and the public."

National health and safety officer Dave Joyce said that he is "optimistic" that the argument for new laws protecting workers from dangerous dogs is now being won following his meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the House of Commons yesterday.
The union has been waging a long-standing campaign to close a loophole in the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act which fails to provide legal redress for people attacked by animals on private property.
Members of our union are particularly vulnerable to this danger due to the work that they do - postal workers and telephone engineers regularly have to enter private premises in the normal course of their duties - and of the estimated 6,000 CWU members attacked by dogs every year, many are bitten whilst on private property and this often means that no action can be taken.
Several years of hard work by the union lobbying MPs, members of the devolved assemblies, councils and other organisations including the police and voluntary sector has gradually seen this issue rise up the political agenda.
And, after a particularly savage attack on one of our members whilst on delivery, Sheffield postman Paul Coleman's MP Angela Smith (Sheffield Hillsborough) submitted a 10-Minute Rule Bill urging action.
These types of Bills do not usually initiate new legislation, but they are extremely useful in highlighting an important issue and bringing it to the attention of the Government.
And, in this case, Ms Smith's intervention led to the subject being taken up at the highest level, with Government Minister Jim Fitzpatrick - whose Department DEFRA has responsibility for issues concerning animals - and now the Prime Minister himself becoming involved.
After yesterday's discussions - to which animal charity RSPCA and police representatives were also invited - Dave Joyce said: "The Prime Minister gave us a good hearing and the discussion went extremely well.
"Mr Brown seemed very interested in trying to help resolve this problem and appeared to accept the need for action.
"He told me he had seen my brief report on the developments in Northern Ireland and Scotland and was aware of the firm commitments and proposals to change the law there," Dave added, in reference to the progress that has been made by the union's campaign at the Belfast and Edinburgh devolved assemblies.*
"And we were told that two members of the Cabinet - DEFRA Secretary of State Hilary Benn and Home Secretary Alan Johnson - have been tasked with developing a plan of action including action that can be taken now and proposals for inclusion in their policy manifesto for the forthcoming general election."
The CWU has also been invited - along with representatives from the Police Federation, RSPCA and others - to a high-profile event in the capital next month to draw further attention to this issue.
The Greater London Assembly is organising the gathering at Westminster Hall on Tuesday March 2, at which the CWU will be asked to address an audience of MPs, GLA members and council leaders from the UK's major local authorities in what will be an ideal opportunity to make the case for legislative reform. Members of Parliament will be urged to sign Sheffield MP Angela Smith's Early Day Motion on the subject, while assembly members and council chiefs will be asked to consider ways in which they can toughen up the enforcement of existing controls on dangerous dogs.

*Scottish Parliament: Both First Minister Alex Salmond and Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill have confirmed that they will support Central Scotland MSP Alex Neil's Dog Control (Scotland) Bill. The Bill has completed Stage One and enjoys cross-party support at Holyrood.

Northern Ireland Assembly: A consultation paper setting out proposals for a new Dog Control Bill has been published and legislation is expected soon. We understand our call for new legal protections also has cross-party support here and protections for workers entering private property in the course of their duties will be included in these reforms.