Chamber and committees

Would the minister be open to considering the impact of the theft of working dogs? We know that there were about 1,800 thefts of dogs in the UK last year, but we do not know how many of those were working dogs. There is also an issue with operational loss through loss of income, training time and all the rest of it. If the court was not aware of those situations, it would be going in blind, so how could it determine the emotional and financial loss?

On the basis of what the minister said, I will not move amendment 20.

Amendment 20 not moved.

Amendments 6 to 8 moved—[Maurice Golden]—and agreed to.

Section 2, as amended, agreed to.

After section 2

Amendments 21 and 22 not moved.

Section 3—Victim Statements

Amendment 9 moved—[Maurice Golden]—and agreed to.

After section 3

Amendment 23 would require ministers to undertake research into areas where working gun dogs are most at risk of being stolen or unlawfully kept. Within one year following the completion of that research, ministers would have to establish a grant or loan scheme to support owners to improve kennel security in high-risk areas.

As I have indicated, data shows that, in the United Kingdom and Scotland, dog theft remains an issue for working dog owners. Industry analysts estimate that 1,800 thefts are carried out each year—that figure was from 2024. That means that about five thefts happen per day. Often, recovery rates are low. Reports suggest that about 50 per cent of dog thefts each year relate to dogs in the working dog category, with the most commonly stolen gun dogs being cocker spaniels, springer spaniels and Labradors.

Working gun dogs are vulnerable to theft because, as I have already indicated, they have a very high market value and undergo specialist training. If they are in a kennel, they are exposed to theft. A properly trained gun dog might be worth several thousand pounds and could have taken up to two years to train, which means that not only is the theft of the working dog financially rewarding to a criminal, but, as we have talked about, it disrupts land management and shooting days and causes significant emotional trauma.

The proposed kennel grant scheme would support professional gun dog keepers and those who shoot in high-risk areas to upgrade security. It could cover measures such as CCTV, flood lighting and alarmed padlocks. By ensuring that the areas that are most at risk are identified and financial support offered, the amendment aims to reduce the incidence of theft and better protect those animals, particularly in rural areas.

I move amendment 23.

Why is the minister not taking into account the amendments that I have lodged if the advisory group has met only once and she does not have a clear guideline as to its recommendations?

I have no further comments to make, and I will not press the amendment.

Amendment 23, by agreement, withdrawn.

Section 4—Annual reports by Scottish Ministers

Amendment 29 would add a reporting requirement to section 5 to include any concerns about the geographical distribution of dog theft and a consideration of whether a financial scheme should be introduced for kennel upgrades, as was previously outlined in amendment 23 in group 3, which I did not press.

Similarly to previous amendments, amendments 30 and 31 provide a definition of a working gun dog and also allow definitions to be set by regulations.

That is short and sharp, and I will leave it there.

I move amendment 29.

That is generous of the minister. I feel quite positive about that, because something could be brought back at stage 3 not only to recognise the work that the expert advisory group is doing, but to understand the necessity of recognising working dogs in the bill.

Amendment 19 would require courts, when sentencing for the theft of a working gun dog, to consider both the emotional and the operational impact of that theft. The amendment seeks to ensure that the court takes into account the operational loss that is suffered by the lawful owner and the emotional impact of the theft on not only the owner but others who are affected by the loss.

Gun dogs are trained working animals that often have a high financial and operational value, and their theft disrupts land management, shooting days and livelihoods, and it causes acute welfare and owner trauma. That was evident in a case in which dogs were taken from my constituency in the Borders, which got a lot of coverage in the media. Current common-law theft can treat dogs like property. If we had a specific offence, that would recognise the sentient and working status of gun dogs. Amendment 19 seeks to recognise the unique role that working dogs play and the serious consequences that their theft can have.

With regard to my colleague Maurice Golden’s amendment 9, which seeks to remove section 3, I am aware that that reflects the Government’s commitment to expand the range of offences in relation to which victim statements would be permitted. The committee recommended that that issue should be considered in its wider context, rather than in the context of the bill. I therefore add my support for amendment 9, and I hope that the Government’s commitment to expand the range of offences on which victim statements would be permitted will cover dog theft, too.

I move amendment 19.

I appreciate the comments made by Maurice Golden and the minister about my amendments. As I said to the minister, I feel that there is a chink of light in that there could be some solace for those who have experienced the theft of a working dog and more particularly of a gun dog, which we know are a recognised target. They are from specific—and valuable—breeds that can only be working dogs, and, because of the rurality of their accommodation, they can be targets for theft.

I will not press amendment 19, but I will meet the minister to discuss it further.

Amendment 19, by agreement, withdrawn.

Section 1 agreed to.

Section 2—Theft of assistance dogs

Well, I am interested in the human trafficking element and child sexual exploitation and in what Amanda Jane Quick spoke about in relation to the pimps who are pimping prostitutes in the industry.