Fireworks: Sale and Use

Danny Beales Excerpts

Monday 9th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I thank the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) for opening the debate on this important petition. Fireworks have many positives, and we have heard a number of them already. Many of our earliest memories are related to the times that we come together: our first sparkler in the garden with friends and family; bringing in the new year with loved ones; and important cultural and religious events, which are often times for unity and for the community to come together. It is important that we do not lose sight of the positive role that fireworks can play in our society.

But as we have heard painfully often today, there are often serious consequences from firework misuse. For many, fireworks season is a time not of joy, but of fear and dread each year. Like many other hon. Members, I have heard from many people in my constituency who are concerned about the impact of fireworks on animals, loved ones, vulnerable people and veterans in our community. These are very serious and legitimate concerns, and I am pleased that we have the time here in Westminster Hall today to consider them fully. The strong interest in this issue demonstrated by Members shows how seriously we are taking it.

The current regulatory framework was designed to support people to enjoy fireworks while reducing the risks, dangers and disruption to pets, property and people. There is an open question about whether the existing firework regulations strike the right balance between enjoyment of fireworks and their negative effects, so I welcome the Government’s commitment to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks; that has recently been outlined in a number of Government responses to parliamentary questions. I hope that commitment will lead to a more formal review of the fireworks policy and legislative framework to see whether it is still fit for purpose. As we have heard today, given the growth in online sales and in the size and decibel limit of firework use domestically, it seems the right time for a full review of regulations.

That said, regulations are an effective tool only if they are properly enforced. I have heard from many of my constituents that the existing rules on fireworks are already broken without consequence or punishment. It strikes me that although it is easy to regulate the fireworks sold in shops or online, it is much harder to enforce regulations once fireworks have been bought. I hope that, in the future, as well as changing regulations we give full and due consideration to how that issue can also be addressed, to ensure that enforcement can be fully self-funding through tougher fines for those breaching regulations.

[Jake Richards (Rother Valley) (Lab)]

I held a public meeting in my constituency of Rother Valley and we discussed a lot of the regulations that my hon. Friend and others have mentioned in this debate. However, does he agree that we can do more as a community? Perhaps in local villages such as Harthill, Kiveton Park, Dinnington and Maltby in my constituency, we could set aside weekends where we encourage people to enjoy fireworks, but the rest of the month could be set aside for those who perhaps do not enjoy fireworks.

--- Later in debate ---

[Danny Beales]

It is almost as if my hon. Friend had a copy of my speech, because I am just about to turn to that point; I might speak to my researcher, in case he has been leaking my emails.

My hon. Friend makes an important point. It must be said that the public displays of fireworks that many of us were used to are now often a thing of the past. In any village or town, people used to go to the green on important occasions and there would be a public display of fireworks, often led by the community and the local authority, and often free. Far too often now, those public displays are either not free—indeed, they are often very high-cost for a family—or, as is more common, not taking place at all.

I remember going to the Thames each year with my family, travelling from Uxbridge and South Ruislip to the centre of London to enjoy such displays. Now, they are heavily ticketed and heavily priced, so many people have now turned to having individual private displays in their gardens instead. I hope we will give consideration to my hon. Friend’s point about how we can encourage collective displays that are much better regulated and, as he said, much better communicated to local residents.

To conclude, it is time now for a full and detailed review of the fireworks regulatory framework, considering enforcement as well, so that we can balance the needs of those who have legitimate desires to celebrate, bringing their families and communities together, but also strike the right balance and preventing the significant issues of the misuse and overuse of fireworks.