Dog insurance dropped

Environment secretary Hilary Benn says the government has dropped plans to forcems of dog owners to buy insurance, the Express reports.

Benn said: “We can rule out compulsory insurance for all dogs. The idea was raised with us because of the horrific injuries some very dangerous dogs can cause.

“We would still be interested in views on whether third party insurance could be a requirement of a dog control notice. “Any suggestion that we will put a tax on all dog owners is simply untrue – yet another example of desperate Tory scaremongering.”

Totally flawed

Shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert hit back, saying: “Labour rushed out a policy consultation weeks before an election that was immediately seen as totally flawed.

“A dog tax was proposed last week and now, it appears, ruled out by Hilary Benn in a humiliating U-turn that just proves how tired and incompetent this Government has become.”

Benn said: “We don’t want to penalise the vast majority of responsible dog owners because they’re just as concerned as everybody else about that small minority who mistreat dogs, involve them in dog fighting or use dogs as weapons.

Protect the public

“We’ve got to make sure that the public are protected and we’re taking public concern seriously by asking how can we sensibly review the law that we’ve currently got.”

The proposals remain part of the consultation.

Insurers said it would not work

The Guardian reported that critics said compulsory third-party insurance would not cover dangerous breeds, such as pit bull terriers, already banned under law, while responsible pet owners would be unfairly penalised.

The insurance industry claimed the owners of aggressive animals would not pay up and questioned who would compensate the victims of uninsured dogs.