Wednesday 29th June 2016

(7 years, 11 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Kevin Foster Portrait Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)
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The hon. Lady is making an excellent speech, and I congratulate her on securing the debate. The point she makes about dog fighting being a gateway crime is vital. Is it not the case that in the United States dog fighting is recognised as a grade A felony, and the FBI prioritises tackling it because of the impact that it has on detecting and preventing other offences?

Lisa Cameron Portrait Dr Cameron
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I cannot emphasise that point enough: it is a gateway crime carried out by organised people who are involved in crime. They are callous towards animals, which research indicates leads them to a propensity to be callous towards humans. That must be tackled as a serious issue.