FOI 524/25

REQUEST 

I would like to request the following under the FOI Act for the years between and including 2019 and 2024.

1. The number of out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
2. The number of these offences involving XL Bullies
3. The number of dogs seized
4. The number of these seizures involving XL Bullies
5. The number of dogs destroyed
6. The number of these destructions involving XL Bullies

RESPONSE

Your request for information has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested.       

In relation to your request, the following exemption applies:

Section 12 – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit. 

A search has been conducted on our crime and incident recording system (Niche RMS) for all occurrences recorded using Home Office code 8N/8/21: Owner or Person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in any place in England or Wales (whether or not a public place) injuring any person or assistance dog between the dates specified. This search retrieved 5564 results.

To retrieve the information requested for question 2, we estimate that it would take approximately 1-2 minutes to interrogate each occurrence to identify if these offences involved XL Bullies.

We therefore estimate it would take in excess of 139 hours to retrieve the information.  

It is estimated that the cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the "appropriate level" as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.

In the case of the police service, the appropriate limit is £450 which has been calculated to equate to a total of 18 hours of work.

If any part of the request exceeds the fees limit then Section 12 applies to the whole request.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice

Excess cost removes the forces obligation under the Freedom of Information Act, however under Section 16 – Duty to provide advice and assistance, an authority is required to offer an applicant the opportunity to redefine their request within the cost limit. If you were to remove question 2 we may be able to assist you with the remainder of your request.