Fireworks: Sale and Use

Alex Davies-Jones Excerpts
Monday 8th November 2021

(2 years, 4 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Alex Davies-Jones Portrait Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd) (Lab)
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It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Twigg.

I rise to speak on behalf of the 584 people living in my constituency of Pontypridd who have signed this petition on an issue that I am passionate about. It is clear that many Members from across the political divide share my concerns about the sale and use of fireworks, given the popularity of this debate and that of debates on the same topic in the past. As the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Elliot Colburn) has already said, we have had this debate year on year. I was in the debate last year and I have no doubt that I will be in such a debate next year unless the Government take clear action and do something about the issue.

I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen), who is making excellent progress with her Misuse of Fireworks Bill, which is making its way through the House. Indeed, the issues surrounding the sale and misuse of fireworks have been debated in this place for many years, but despite compelling contributions from colleagues in a range of debates there has been little progress in terms of practical change.

If anything, the situation is getting much worse. Although I recognise that a well-organised fireworks display is something that a lot of people look forward to, myself included, we must also acknowledge the impacts of fireworks, including the distress and danger that they can cause some people. One resident in Pontypridd, who recently gave birth, contacted me to share her real concerns about the impact that firework season will have on her new baby’s wellbeing. I share and empathise with her concerns. Those who have children in their house will know that painstaking silence is often required for a newborn to drop to sleep and those few hours are also undeniably precious for any new parent. I remember from my own experience of giving birth that I was utterly exhausted after having Sullivan and the thought of an excruciatingly loud firework display waking him up was a genuine worry at this time of year. It is important to recognise that bonfire night, despite its name, is rarely celebrated on one night alone. Often, fireworks are let off on for days on end and it is time that we reflect properly on whether that is truly necessary.

Of course, if we restrict public firework displays even further, as had to be the case last year due to the pandemic, we are likely to see an increase in home displays, which will often be even more dangerous. Some responsible outlets and supermarkets are making the decision not to sell fireworks, but despite their best efforts there were still reports of firework-related antisocial behaviour in my area.

I recently met South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which is based in Llantrisant in my constituency. Its team told me about their extensive preparations for what is undoubtedly their busiest weekend of the year. Similarly, last weekend, as part of COP26, there were a number of rallies in my area to encourage more rapid environmental action to tackle the devastating effects of climate change.

We know the devastating impact that fireworks have on our local environment and on all animals, not just our pets. I have spoken passionately in Westminster Hall before about my own dogs, Dotty and Dora. They are absolutely petrified of fireworks. As the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington has already said, this is not just about animals or newborn babies; it is also about veterans, those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, those suffering with autism and those who are vulnerable and on their own.

I urge the Minister to take action and recognise the broad range of health and safety concerns that have been raised today. We have to take action before it is too late—before we all end up back here next year. Remember, remember, the fifth of November, and not this debate.

--- Later in debate ---
Paul Scully Portrait Paul Scully
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I want to leave my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington time to conclude, so I will not give way to my hon. Friend for a second time.

We have an ongoing programme of action for fireworks, responding to the key issues raised. This included commissioning the research by Ipsos MORI that provided evidence on consumer attitudes and behaviours around using fireworks in the UK. The key findings have informed our public awareness campaigns and support the need to educate consumers on use of fireworks, to commission noise research—admittedly yet to be published—to test the decibel level of commonly used fireworks, to engage with animal welfare organisations to better understand what specific issues they face, and to engage with the fireworks industry to consider what action it can take to promote consumer safety.

I draw hon. Members’ attention to one of the key commitments the Government made in response to the Petitions Committee regarding public awareness of the safe and considerate use of fireworks. We know that information and education are vital to address the key issues around fireworks. The Office for Product Safety and Standards works in partnership with animal welfare organisations, safety charities and the industry to develop an annual campaign on fireworks; the 2020 campaign was far reaching and had a potential reach of 2.6 million people on Twitter. We built and expanded on that success for the 2021 fireworks campaign, focusing on educating people on how to buy, use, store and dispose of fireworks safely; ensuring that retailers know and understand their responsibilities when selling fireworks; and promoting considerate use so that people and animals are better protected from any negative effects that may be caused by fireworks.

Alex Davies-Jones Portrait Alex Davies-Jones
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Will the Minister give way?

Paul Scully Portrait Paul Scully
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I will give way very quickly, but this will be the last time.

Alex Davies-Jones Portrait Alex Davies-Jones
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I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, especially as he is short on time. When I met people from my local fire service this week, they mentioned the idea of a firework amnesty for people who purchase fireworks but end up not using them—perhaps because of poor weather—and have no way to safely dispose of them. They encouraged some sort of formal guidance around such an amnesty so that people could safely dispose of or hand in unused fireworks. Would the Minister support that?

Paul Scully Portrait Paul Scully
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That is a really interesting idea. Any way of taking potentially dangerous things that will not be used correctly off the streets is well worth another look. More widely, we have partnered with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and other organisations, which will undoubtedly look at that as well.

In addition, this year the Government collaborated with the Association for Science Education to produce teaching materials for children in schools, to introduce messaging about safe and considerate use at an early age. I look forward to seeing the statistics from this year’s campaign, and would be more than happy to share those with hon. Members if they are interested. As I said, the Government are aware of Scotland’s new regulations and proposed new Bill, and we work closely with all the devolved Administrations. I would be really interested to see how that pans out.

I want to leave some time for my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington to wind up and reflect on the debate. I thank him especially, but also all the colleagues across the House who have come to show their interest in an incredibly important debate. Hon. Members should bear in mind that the Petitions Committee might want to update its report next year and take evidence before bringing a debate to Parliament. There is also the opportunity for an all-party parliamentary group, where Members can take evidence on those international comparisons, if they want to bring that kind of information to the Government and Parliament in future debates. I pay tribute to the work of the Committee.