Meeting of the Parliament 02 October 2025 [Draft]
I am happy to take that away and meet the member to discuss the issue further. It might be something that the expert advisory group could look at; perhaps we could raise the issue with the group and take it from there. I am happy to take that idea away and consider it.
As I appreciate that all of our pets are loved, I now move on to the topic of cat theft. The common-law offence of theft offers robust protection, including for pets, with a maximum penalty that goes all the way up to a life sentence for cases that are tried in the High Court. I listened to what Finlay Carson said about the evidence that the committee took regarding opening the bill up to other pets. A number of members have made valid points about the consolidation of legislation. We are all aware that we do not have any time in this session of Parliament due to the amount of legislation that we are trying to pass during the next several months, but I definitely think that that should be dealt with in the next session.
I turn to the request for the definition of “assistance dog” to be widened. I understand that the SSPCA previously provided the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee with a research paper on defining the terms that are used for animals working in support roles. I am aware that the committee had concerns about the definition of assistance dogs. In particular, the issue might be that not all dogs that provide assistance and support for their owners would be covered.
Although the bill includes an enabling power that allows for changes to the definition, that would create an issue for the Scottish Government to address further down the line. I had a conversation with Maurice Golden last week and welcome his commitment to lodge amendments at stage 2 to ensure that appropriate coverage is achieved for the aggravation so that it includes dogs that provide assistance to support their owners. That is a necessary part of the Scottish Government’s support for the bill and I ask Maurice Golden when closing the debate to provide confirmation that he will take that action.
Dogs are vital and much-loved members of our families. If they are lost in any way, including as a result of theft, that brings grief to their owners and leaves a hole in those families. I hope that, by supporting the new dog theft offence, I am showing that the Scottish Government takes the issue seriously. If Parliament agrees today to the general principles of the bill, I look forward to working with Mr Golden at stage 2 to ensure that amendments are made so that the Scottish Government can continue its support for the bill to stage 3.
16:43