Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:24 pm on 14 February 2023.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. As you know, this is a very busy time for farmers, of course, because the lambing season has just started, and the weather is improving, people are tempted to go out for a walk with their dogs in rural areas of Wales, and this, of course, is a cause of great concern to farmers because of the attacks by dogs on farm animals. Recent research by NFU Mutual notes that the cost of damage to animals and those killed by dogs was around £400,000 last year, which is an increase of almost 15 per cent on the previous year. And the same research shows that two out of three people who take their dogs for a walk are willing to let their dogs run wild when they are out in rural areas. So, can I ask how the Welsh Government intends to respond to these figures, these increases that I've outlined, and will you make a statement on that? And how do you intend to encourage people to be more responsible when they take their dogs for a walk in rural areas?