§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions she has had with(a) representatives of the fireworks industry, (b) local authorities and (c) police representatives since the passing of the Fireworks Act 2003;[133509]
(2) what plans she has to make use of her powers under the Fireworks Act 2003. [133510]
§ Mr. SutcliffeThe Department is committed to implementing and ensuring proper enforcement of the Fireworks Act 2003. We hope to implement those parts of the Act dealing with anti-social issues before Christmas. Discussions have taken place with the fireworks industry with regard to enshrining the voluntary air bombs ban in legislation under the Act.
Discussions have also taken place with local authorities and police representatives on the creation of a curfew for the use of fireworks between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am and creating an offence for possession of fireworks by those under 18 years of age respectively.
The Act's other principal provisions—setting a maximum noise limit for fireworks, licensing of suppliers, rules for public firework displays, importation of fireworks and training of display operators—require more detailed consultation with all the interested parties. We will start implementation of this part of the Act in the new year.