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WQ.314/2023
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHAIR OF THE COMITÉ DES CONNÉTABLES BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER CENTRAL
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 10th JULY 2023
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 17th JULY 2023
Question
"In relation to dog licences, will the Chair advise –
- the total sum raised across all the Parishes from dog licences, together with a breakdown of the numbers for each Parish, for each of the last three years; and
- the process that determines how this sum is used and how it has been used over this period?"
Answer
- The Dogs (Jersey) Law 1961 ("the 1961 Law") requires a person keeping a dog to have a licence in respect of that dog. However, as set out in Article 3 a licence is not required for -
• a dog under the age of 6 months;
• a dog kept and used solely by a blind person for his or her guidance;
• a dog, kept and used by a deaf person, which has been trained by an organization which exists to train dogs for that purpose, to assist that person to overcome disabilities caused by his or her deafness.
The fee for a licence is £10 per dog (applicable from 1 March 2020). The licence remains in force until 31 January and licences renewed after that date incur a double fee of £20.
The income by Parish for the financial years ended 30 April 2021, 2022 and 2023 is set out in the table below. This income is as recorded in the Parish's audited annual accounts which are available on the Parish's website (audit of some 2023 accounts still to be completed).
PARISH 2023 dog licence Notes 2022 dog licence 2021 dog licence
income income income
St Brelade £15,371 Net of direct costs £16,045 £16,670
St Clement £11,863 £12,602 £12,111 Grouville £7,470 Unaudited accounts £7,142 £6,442
St Helier £14,383 Unaudited accounts £16,850 £15,550
St John £4,705 Included in sundry income' £4,500 £5,465
St Lawrence £5,890 £6,490 £5,905
St Martin £6,679 Net figure in accounts £6,215 £6,308
St Mary £3,161 £3,221 £3,070
St Ouen £6,560 Unaudited accounts £6,610 £6,345
St Peter £7,670 £6,650 £7,590
St Saviour £13,930 £14,062 £14,210 Trinity £5,930 £4,920 £4,955 Total £103,612 £105,307 £104,621
Note: a snapshot of the number of dog licences is published on the Parishes websites each spring.
- The fee for a dog licence is credited to the General Account of the Parish in which it is received in accordance with Article 4(5) of the 1961 Law. The fees are therefore applied to the general expenses of the Parish and not to specific uses.
The Parish Assembly, when approving the budget each year, determines how funds in the General Account will be used. All expenditure from the General Account is detailed in the Parish's annual accounts which are adopted by the Parish Assembly and available on the Parish website.
The expenditure incurred by a Parish will include costs which relate to the 1961 Law such as:
• the administration costs of dog licences which includes staff time and materials (including system costs) to issue a dog licence and to maintain a register of licences in accordance with Article 4 of the 1961 Law; and
• dealing with stray dogs – the Parish arranges the contract for the collection and housing of stray dogs whilst the dog owner is responsible for paying all expenses incurred by reason of the detention of a stray dog which has been seized (Article 7 of the 1961 Law).