The cross-party Commons Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has accused the Government of failing to respond adequately to public concern over dog attacks and poor dog welfare. The Committee said that more must be done to ensure that dog breeders do more to stop poor breeding practices, including of pedigree dogs, and legislation must be amended urgently to protect the public from dangerous dogs.

The criticism came as the Committee launched a report of its inquiry into Dog Control and Welfare on 15 February. It followed the announcement by the Government of changes to the law to introduce, among other measures, the compulsory microchipping of all dogs in England from April 2016 – a measure already in force in Northern Ireland.

Launching the report, the Committee's chair Anne McIntosh MP said: "Current laws have comprehensively failed to tackle irresponsible dog ownership. DEFRA's belated proposals...are too limited.

"Since 2007 dogs have killed seven people, including five children, in private homes. The NHS also spends over £3m annually treating dog attack injuries. Some eight assistance dogs a month, and thousands of livestock annually, are attacked by dogs.

"More than 100,000 strays are found each year; incidences of cruelty and neglect are rising and many dogs are out of control due to the irresponsible or deliberate actions of a minority of owners.

"The evidence we received from DEFRA and the Home Office did little to reassure us that either department is giving sufficient priority to dog control and welfare issues. The Home Office approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is too simplistic and fails to reflect the impact that poor breeding and training by irresponsible owners can have on a dog's behaviour.

"DEFRA should introduce comprehensive legislation to consolidate the fragmented rules relating to dog control and welfare. New rules should give enforcement officers more effective powers, including Dog Control Notices, to prevent dog-related antisocial behaviour. Local authorities need to devote more resources to the effective management of stray dogs."

Despite the criticism, the MPs endorsed the Government's proposed amendment to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, making attacks on private land the same as attacks on public land. However, the Committee warned that police and prosecutors must distinguish between intruders and those lawfully on a person's property when enforcing the law.

"The Government's assurances on this are too vague; clear guidance is needed to avoid unintended consequences," said Anne McIntosh.

MPs stressed that an attack on an assistance animal such as a guide dog has severe impacts on the owner's mobility and daily life. They called on ministers to amend legislation so that a dog attack on an assistance animal is treated as an aggravated attack, in the same manner as an attack on a person. The police must also become more consistent in prosecuting the owners of dogs that attack livestock.