HC Deb 06 November 2003 vol 412 cc913-4
1. Mrs. Joan Humble (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)

What action her Department is taking to enforce safety legislation associated with fireworks. [136674]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe)

The safety of fireworks is governed by the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997. Enforcement is the responsibility of the trading standards service. Display and storage of fireworks are controlled by local authorities under the Health and Safety Executive's Explosives Act 1875.

Mrs. Humble

I thank my hon. Friend for that long list of measures, but is not the best way of enforcing the safety regulations to tackle the antisocial behaviour that is all too often associated with fireworks? Will he ensure that those regulations, and the new regulations announced by the Secretary of State, will he strictly enforced to ensure the safety of both people and pets?

Mr. Sutcliffe

I wholeheartedly agree. I think that the House owes a debt to my hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, South (Mr. Tynan), who introduced the Fireworks Bill as a private Member's Bill. It is important to tackle antisocial behaviour, which is why we are pleased that the regulations will ban under-18s from having fireworks in public places and double the penalties imposed on those throwing fireworks. I think that those measures accord with our strategy to deal with antisocial behaviour.

Malcolm Bruce (Gordon)

Does the Minister acknowledge that nowadays there is widespread ignorance as to who Guy Fawkes was? Apparently, the most popular candidates for the bonfire this year are President George Bush and the about-to-be-crowned leader of the Conservative party.

On a more serious note, on the basis of the introduction of the new Fireworks Act 2003—which he commended—will the Minister ensure that the regulations directly target safety issues and the nuisance and distress caused to people and animals in a way that does not needlessly destroy businesses and jobs, and enables people to carry on enjoying fireworks in a responsible manner?

Mr. Sutcliffe

I accept what the hon. Gentleman says about safety. This year's safety campaign concerned sparklers. At first people did not think that appropriate, but last year 80 children were injured by sparklers, which reach a temperature of 1,000° C, 10 times the boiling point of water. They are in fact very dangerous.

We must make sure that schoolchildren and young people are aware of the dangers of fireworks. We need a balance between regulation and ensuring that we do not affect businesses, but the safety issues are important. I am pleased that many local authorities, police forces and fire authorities have worked together to try to get the safety message cross.

Mr. Bob Laxton (Derby, North)

I hope that the new regulations prove effective. I suspect that the number of complaints about the effects of fireworks has, if anything, been greater this year than in earlier years. If the regulations prove ineffective, what prospect will there be of a total ban on the sale of fireworks other than for publicly organised events?

Mr. Sutcliffe

My hon. Friend is entitled to his view, but I hope that he will join us in trying to ensure that the regulations do work, because they provide for dramatic improvements in safety and reductions in antisocial behaviour. I hope that he will concentrate on that aspect and work with stakeholders in his constituency. Let us see if the regulations work first; if they do not, we shall have to return to the issue.

Chris Grayling (Epsom and Ewell)

While there is much to welcome in the Fireworks Act, can the Minister assure us that the Government will not use the section referring to potential licensing to introduce regulations requiring every local primary school, guides group or scouts group that holds an annual display to engage in a complicated licensing process?

Mr. Sutcliffe

I assure the hon. Gentleman that that will not happen. The licensing regime will concentrate on the sale of fireworks. At present there is a registration scheme for shops. The idea is to establish a licensing scheme to prevent any abuse of the rules on selling fireworks to young people.