Question reference: S6W-24489
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 12 January 2024
-
Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not yet established a publicly accessible national database of dog control notices under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, which would allow the tracking of dogs Scotland-wide whose behaviour gives cause for concern.
Answer
The Scottish Government introduced a national dog control notice database in February 2022 which is helping local authorities and Police Scotland access information on dog owners where notices have been issued.
The national database brought together the dog control notice records of all local authorities into a centralised database that is accessible by all 32 local authorities and Police Scotland.
Where a person subject to a dog control notice moves from one local authority to another, the national database is a valuable tool in helping to enforce that notice.
The 2010 Act already allows for and requires local authorities to co-operate with the police and other local authorities in all matters relating to the control of dogs arising under or by virtue of this Act, the Dogs Act 1906 or the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. It is for local authorities to assess how and when information can be shared more widely and in so doing, local authorities will carefully consider data protection under GDPR.