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F/T: 0300 244 3218  E: [email protected]

Lucy Scharbert Clerk Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee

___ 31 August 2020

Dear Lucy

Further to my appearance at the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee on 20 August and our post evidence session email exchange, I thought it would be helpful to put in writing details of action taken by Scottish Government justice officials against each of the actions raised during the evidence session that were for the Scottish Government to consider, take forward and respond.

Victim Representation on the Scottish Government led working group on dangerous dogs / control of dogs

The Scottish Government were grateful to receive details from the committee clerk of an individual / victim of a dog attack who, following the evidence session on 20 August, had come forward to express an interest in offering to support the working group. Following a telephone conversation on Friday 28 August, I am pleased to confirm that we now have a victim representative on the working group.

In addition, I contacted Kate Wallace, Chief Executive Victim Support (VSS) to see if they could also assist with victims representation. VSS responded last week to confirm VSS were aware of someone who was happy to help/offer views, but did not want to formally join the working but would instead be happy to route views on dog control matters through their VSS support worker.

Tha Ministearan na h-Alba, an luchd-comhairleachaidh sònraichte agus an Rùnaire Maireannach fo chumhachan Achd Coiteachaidh (Alba) 2016. Faicibh www.lobbying.scot

Scottish Ministers, special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See www.lobbying.scot

Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dùn Èideann EH1 3DG St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, EH1 3DG  www.gov.scot

Request for details of local authorities who responded / did not respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the Operational Effectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010

An Information (table) detailing the names of local authorities who responded / did not respond has been provided to the Committee Clerks. A copy of the table is provided for at annex A.

Details of the Working Group membership to be provided to the Committee

Please see details below of the members who make up the Scottish Government led working group on dog control and dangerous dogs

Membership –

Jim Wilson, (Chair) Scottish Government, Head of Safer Communities and Justice Directorate COVID-19 Hub

Alison Robertson, Council – Dog Warden

Laura McLeod – Secretary of the National Dog Warden Association for Scotland (ex Council dog warden)

James Ferguson, Argyle & Bute Council – Dog Warden

Sergeant John McKeag, Police Scotland

T/Inspector Peter Johnstone, Police Scotland

Mike Callaghan, COSLA official

James Crawshaw, City of Council / member of the Society of Chief Environmental Officers in Scotland

Hazel Stevenson, City Council Environmental Health Manager / member of the Royal Environmental Health Institute for Scotland (REHIS) - Hazel Chairs the REHIS Public Health and Housing Working Group (which has representation from all Local Authorities in Scotland), at which dog control matters are discussed.

Victims representative – confirmed 28 August

How much local authorities are spending collectively (broken down by council / Scotland wide (local authority) figure on control of dogs?

This question will be considered by the working group (local authority representatives), but it is highly likely the Scottish Government will commission this information from each of the 32 local authorities, potentially routing this request through the Society of Chief Enviromental Officers in Scotland. The status of this action is therefore on-going.

Tha Ministearan na h-Alba, an luchd-comhairleachaidh sònraichte agus an Rùnaire Maireannach fo chumhachan Achd Coiteachaidh (Alba) 2016. Faicibh www.lobbying.scot

Scottish Ministers, special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See www.lobbying.scot

Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dùn Èideann EH1 3DG St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG  www.gov.scot

General – Scottish Government’s commitment to update the Statutory Guidance (Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010), Joint Protocol between Police Scotland and local authorities, 2nd review (consultation) that will look at the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991etc) by the end of 2020

Scottish Government justice officials will keep the committee clerks abreast of any significant developments on the planned updates, 2nd review/consultation as well as any significant developments regarding the scoping/exploratory work around the establishment of a Dog Control Notice Database. The status of this action is therefore on-going.

General discussion on frequency of updates / engagement with officials to discuss dog control / dangerous dogs policy matters

Scottish Government justice policy officials have engaged with the Minister for Community Safety’s Private Office to protect time in the Ministers diary. Monthly ‘check in’ calls have been scheduled. The status of this action is therefore on-going.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Wilson

JimWilson Scottish Government Justice Directorate Head of Safer Communities and Justice Directorate COVID-19 Hub

Tha Ministearan na h-Alba, an luchd-comhairleachaidh sònraichte agus an Rùnaire Maireannach fo chumhachan Achd Coiteachaidh (Alba) 2016. Faicibh www.lobbying.scot

Scottish Ministers, special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See www.lobbying.scot

Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dùn Èideann EH1 3DG St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG  www.gov.scot

Annex A

In addition to the 16 LAs that responded as organisations, 2 responded as individuals, so from our initial check, we received permission / consent from 18 of the 19 local authorities to publish their responses.

The table below lists the local authorities who responded to the SG consultation on the Operational Effectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, and provided consent for their response to be published.

Published responses can be viewed at: https://consult.gov.scot/criminal-law/effectiveness-control-of-dogs-scotland-act- 2010/consultation/published_select_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&ord er=descending&_q__text=

Local authority Did the Local Authority respond to the consultation? / Was consent obtained to publish the response received Aberdeen City Yes Aberdeenshire Yes Angus Yes Yes – as an individual City of Edinburgh Yes – as an individual City Yes Yes Yes East Eilean Siar Yes Glasgow Yes Yes Yes Yes Islands Renfrewshire Yes Islands Yes Tha Ministearan na h-Alba, an luchd-comhairleachaidh sònraichte agus an Rùnaire Maireannach fo chumhachan Achd Coiteachaidh (Alba) 2016. Faicibh www.lobbying.scot

Scottish Ministers, special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See www.lobbying.scot

Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dùn Èideann EH1 3DG St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG  www.gov.scot

Local authority Did the Local Authority respond to the consultation? / Was consent obtained to publish the response received Yes Yes West Lothian Yes Total 18

Tha Ministearan na h-Alba, an luchd-comhairleachaidh sònraichte agus an Rùnaire Maireannach fo chumhachan Achd Coiteachaidh (Alba) 2016. Faicibh www.lobbying.scot

Scottish Ministers, special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See www.lobbying.scot

Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dùn Èideann EH1 3DG St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG  www.gov.scot