Health and safety Executive:

No. 206/10

Ref P18

Date: 10 March 2010

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues

Government Announcement on Dangerous Dogs Act Consultation - CWU's "Bite-Back" Campaign
See attached consultation document to which the Health, Safety and Environment Dept will giving consideration and will be making a full response. Branches, Safety Reps and Regional Safety Forums are encouraged to respond to the consultation in line with Union Policy

The Government has announced proposals to change the Law on Dangerous Dogs and has launched a wide ranging public consultation. The announcement has been welcomed by the Communication Workers Union. We launched our "Bite-Back" campaign in 2008 calling for new laws to prevent dog attacks on postal workers by covering, private premises as well as public places and for the introduction of new preventative Control Orders (Dog ASBOs), to make dog owners more accountable.

In January the CWU secured the agreement of the Northern Ireland Government to change the law and the Scottish Government responded to the Union by supporting a new dog control bill which has had its first reading.

The Union's 'Bite-Back' campaign culminated in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and a number of other Ministers from Defra, the Home Office and Justice Ministry to put the case for changing what we described as the UK's woefully inadequate Dangerous Dogs Laws. The government's announcement is a major breakthrough for the Union which came after a long battle to change the law and to change the public perception of the serious problem faced by British Postal Workers who suffer the pain and injury of 6000 dog attacks every year, without the protection of the Law.

The government's proposals now pave the way for a legal framework which will hold to account irresponsible, reckless owners of dangerous animals. The Law when introduced will apply when postmen and women go on to private land and enforcers will have new powers to issue Dog Control Orders (ASBOs) to help prevent attacks.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer