Fireworks
Debate between Margaret Ferrier and Philip BoswellWestminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
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Margaret Ferrier
Definitely. I will come to that point, and to some statistics from the Dogs Trust. The hon. Member for Bracknell (Dr Lee), who is not in his place, mentioned that it is important for people to have advance notice. I know that that is not always easy when people buy fireworks and have a display in their garden; they do not let the general public know. That is an issue. It is about knowing the time that an event will take place, which is why the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Angela Smith) made a good point in saying that general fireworks displays are better; everyone knows about them because they are well publicised.
I thank the hon. Member for Solihull (Julian Knight) for his intervention, but he stole my next sentence: I was about to say that one way to solve the problem is by having and promoting public fireworks displays. In Glasgow, the council holds fireworks shows every bonfire night, which attract as many as 50,000 people. The consequence of such a large number of people attending these gatherings is that far fewer people buy their own fireworks, and fewer fireworks at home mean less disturbance for our pets. If a major display is well publicised, people who have pets are made aware of it and can easily draw up contingency plans to avoid it if necessary, because they have plenty of advance warning. A Dogs Trust survey of 3,750 people found that 93% of pet owners alter their plans during fireworks celebrations to try to minimise their pets’ trauma. No matter how annoying or inconvenient it can be for people to change their routine, they can do it.
Of course, I am not naive enough to think that having more public displays will magically solve the problem, because, as we know, fireworks are not exclusively used on 5 November. People’s plans cannot be changed when their next door neighbour holds an impromptu fireworks display at 10.30 pm on a random Tuesday. Several of my constituents say that it is the lead-up to and aftermath of both Guy Fawkes night and new year’s eve that cause the most problems for their dogs. Scamp, the dog belonging to my office manager Derec, is absolutely petrified of fireworks, as is Fluffy, my constituent Carol’s Lhasa Apso. Both dogs show signs of distress and completely change their behaviour, which has a negative effect on their owners. Fluffy is a small, petite dog, while Scamp is a larger Border collie, showing that all sizes and breeds of dog are affected by fireworks. As we are all aware, across the country thousands of dogs are affected by fireworks and many show the same symptoms of fear, including freezing on the spot. People can imagine how hard it is to carry a Border collie back home: because Scamp will not move at all at such times, it is no mean feat to carry him. Affected dogs can also bark or panic.
Another of my constituents, Lynne, is actually a dog trainer and trainee behaviourist. She has managed to teach her dog, Cal, a coping strategy; when he hears fireworks, he runs into a “safe” room and stays in there until the noise ends. Lynne is one of the lucky ones who is talented enough to provide such training. Sadly, however, most dogs have to suffer, with many of them actually requiring veterinary assistance.
To tackle this issue, I certainly do not wish to bring down the fireworks industry. Fireworks are enjoyed by some 10 million people in the UK every year and banning them completely would change many of our celebrations for the worse. None the less, we must take a pragmatic approach. The British Fireworks Association says that current legislation must be correctly enforced and it has also called for an increase in fines—from £1,000 to £5,000—for those found guilty of breaking the law. If the association is calling for such steps, it shows that something has to be done.
Philip Boswell
Current legislation and—critically—enforcement of it restricts the periods within which fireworks are sold by unlicensed traders. However, fireworks are often stockpiled for later use by members of the public when prices are slashed after Guy Fawkes night, and fireworks are readily available online. Does my hon. Friend agree that these sources also need more effective regulation and enforcement?
Margaret Ferrier
I do indeed and I thank my hon. Friend for making that point about the bigger issue of online sales and—as the hon. Member for Mansfield (Sir Alan Meale) said—fireworks being imported from other countries that perhaps do not adhere to EU law. Such imports should not be used or even brought into the country. We need to find a way round that issue as well, because such fireworks will be dangerous not only to animals, but to the humans who end up using them.
The Dogs Trust says it is important that owners take preventive measures to prepare their dogs for the noise of fireworks, and the Kennel Club argues that existing legislation should be properly and rigorously enforced. I agree with both those points. In the lead-up to this year’s fireworks season, I will do all I can locally to ensure that everyone acts in a socially responsible manner with fireworks and I urge all Members present today to do the same. To reduce the disruption to animals, it is incumbent on everyone to play their part to guarantee that fireworks are used with minimal problems, and that is true for both the owners of shops that sell fireworks and the owners of pets. I look forward to hearing the Minister’s responses to all the points that have been made by Members in this important debate.