Fireworks (Hansard, 7 November 1996)

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what powers exist for(a) Customs and Excise and (b) other authorities to prevent the importation of illegal fireworks through ports into Northern Ireland. [2495]

§ Sir John Wheeler
Where Customs and Excise officials know that cargoes include fireworks, they check for compliance with the British standard and routinely advise the Health and Safety Executive and the Royal Ulster Constabulary. If, however, random searches at ports reveal fireworks which have not been listed as such, officials detain them and notify the RUC.
Fireworks coming into ports in Northern Ireland must comply with the Explosives Act 1875, as amended, and they must be authorised and appear on the "List of Authorised Explosives" issued by the Health and Safety Executive. They must also be classified in accordance with the Classification and Labelling of Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991 and it is an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Order 1978 not to comply with these regulations.
The Placing on the Market and Supervision of Transfers of Explosives (Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 give an inspector appointed under article 21 of the Health and Safety at Work Order 1978 the power to seize and detain, in accordance with section 74 of the Explosives Act 1875, fireworks which he has reasonable cause to believe will be unlawfully acquired, used or dealt in.

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from the RUC about its powers to deal with fireworks in Northern Ireland. [2496]

§ Sir John Wheeler
When consulted on the draft Explosives (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 the Chief Constable indicated that he would wish to have various, additional powers to enter, stop, search and seize in relation to offences committed under the new regulations.
The Secretary of State gave this request the most careful consideration, but was not persuaded that such additional powers, which Parliament has reserved solely for the prevention and detection of serious and violent crime, were wholly appropriate to offences committed under the fireworks legislation.