Mr. Robert G. HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the figures of injuries caused by fireworks in 1988.
§ Mr. ForthAccording to reports from hospitals in England, Scotland and Wales, 877 people required treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during the three weeks leading up to 5 November 1988 and the few days after. This is 83 fewer than in 1987.
I am encouraged by these figures, which show a fall on last year, particularly as they show a significant 18 per cent. reduction in the number of street injuries and to children under 16.
Our safety campaigns last year highlighted the penalties facing shopkeepers who sell fireworks to children under 16 and individuals who let off fireworks in the street. I am pleased to see that the greatest reductions in injuries have been in the prime target groups of our campaigns, but we shall continue to seek greater safety all round.
We shall discuss with trading standards officers and industry how we can further improve standards of fireworks, particularly imports, and ways of testing their safety. The table sets out the figures of firework injuries in Great Britain over a four-week period in October/November 1988.
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Year 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 Severity of injury 1. Fatal injury — — — — 1 2. Detained more than one night 69 60 48 53 55 3. Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent 167 158 160 231 161 4. Minor injury 587 661 582 632 506 5. Unspecified injury 54 81 56 52 55 Eye injuries (included in 2 to 5) 269 312 291 341 295 Age group of injured persons 1. Over 20 280 252 235 214 180 2. 16 to 20 151 168 145 161 109 3. 13 to 15 166 220 207 271 208 4. Under 13 280 320 259 322 281