§ Mark TamiTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were charged with offences relating to the misuse of fireworks in the last six months; [30269]
(2) how many complaints were received by each police force in the UK relating to firework incidents during the Christmas and new year period. [30268]
§ Mr. DenhamThe available information, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, relating to England and Wales for 2000 is shown in the table. These data show persons proceeded against for offences where it is possible to identify specific firework misuse. Statistics for 2001 are not yet available.
Information held centrally does not enable offences involving personal injury or damage to property from fireworks to be identified, as the circumstances behind any offence are not collected.
No information is collected centrally on complaints received by police forces relating to firework incidents. 574W
Persons proceeded against for offences relating to the misuse of fireworks England and Wales 20001,2
Statute/offence description Proceeded against Explosives Act 1875, sec. 80 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street etc. public place 61 Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol, etc.) Act 1985, sec. 2A(1) Being in possession of fireworks etc., in or when entering a designated sports ground 3 Total 64 1 These data are on a principal offence basis. 2 Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data these data are not robust at a detailed level and have been excluded from this table.