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Gale's View- Dog breeding and dangerous dogs.

Posted by Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, at 08:16, Wed 11 September 2013:

A MESSAGE FROM ROGER

While I always welcome personally written and addressed comments from constituents on any subject at all I am afraid that I have reached the inevitable conclusion that it is no longer possible for me or for my staff to respond to the computer generated “round robins” forwarded on behalf of campaigning organisations – in many cases with no personal detail attached at all.

It is also fair to say that a large number of those communicating with me are not listed on the local electoral register so it is impossible to check to see whether they are my own constituents or not.

We have tried to courteously respond to all communications but the volume and repetitive nature of such e-mails is beginning to affect the service that my staff and I seek to provide to my own constituents contacting me or my office with very urgent problems which do need my immediate attention.

If you have serious and considered individual concerns relating to issues then I shall be most pleased to hear from you by personal letter or email and I will send you an equally individual response. (I do not sign Early Day Motions as sadly I feel they have become devalued by inappropriate and over-use.)

If you live in the North Thanet Parliamentary Constituency, you may wish to make an appointment to call to see me at one of my regular constituency advice surgeries when I will be very pleased to discuss any relevant issue with you. My office telephone number is 01843 848588 (mornings).

IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE ONLY SEND THEM ­DIRECT TO ROGER AT galerj@parliament.uk – THANK YOU

Gale`s View – Wednesday 11th September

While Foreign Affairs has, understandably, dominated the news during parliament`s first week back after the Summer recess other business has, of course, continued as usual. Setting aside the complexities of the Lobbying Bill itself, which I am chairing during its` committee stage and am bound by convention from commenting upon, the work of lobbying and briefing has resumed.

During the past ten days I have had a meeting with the Secretary of State for Overseas Development, have met, with Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford) a group of the excellent Admiral (Dementia) nurses, attended a briefing session with Sir Howard Davies, who is looking into the future of Airport Capacity in the South East, met in Brussels with a European Commissioner to discuss the voting rights of Ex-Pat UK citizens , discussed local education funding with the Schools Minister and seen representatives of the League Against Cruel Sports.

I have also immersed myself, twice, in the thorny issue of the control of dog breeding and dangerous dogs and the internet marketing of pets. The first such meeting was attended by representatives of a number of small rescue centres, together with the Dogs Trust and the President elect of the British Veterinary Association, organised by the Dog Rescue Federation under the chairmanship of my Labour friend and colleague Robert Flello. The purpose of this gathering, which I had earlier suggested to its founding organiser Denise Boardman, was to seek to co-ordinate the manner in which the industrial breeding of dogs (let`s not glorify it by calling it “puppy farming”) might better be controlled in general and how the proliferation of bull-breeds in particular might be addressed by local authorities and social housing providers. An action plan will flow from this meeting.

One of the issues raised at the Dog Rescue Federation was the matter of the internet selling of pet animals and, in particular, puppies. This was the subject of the launch, at a breakfast meeting the following morning, of the Pet advertising Advisory Group`s “Minimum Standards for UK Websites.

A packed meeting of the PAAG, hosted by Clarissa Baldwin of the Dogs Trust, heard from the DEFRA Minister responsible, Lord Rupert de Mauley, of the Government`s support for the Minimum Standards project and the manner in which his department intended to get behind the initiative.

From underage animals, banned breeds, illegally imported or endangered species to animals offered in exchange for inanimate objects, online pet advertising in its current form appears to allow almost anything and the PAAG objective is to improve the standards of websites and to filter out unscrupulous advertisements.

A number of internet providers have already signed up, in principle, to the checklist for online classified advertising websites and more, we hope, will follow. There is a long way to go but it is comforting to note that while human distress and mayhem is at the top of the agenda the House can, with cross-party support, find time to consider the needs of sentient beings that do not have an electoral voice.

Sir Roger Gale MP 01843 848588 (a.m.) 07623 978479 (24hr pager) 07774 841557 (Suzy - mobile) galerj@parliament.uk suzy@galemail.com www.rogergale.co.uk www.animalsworldwide.org