Fireworks

Philip Boswell Excerpts

Monday 6th June 2016 Westminster Hall

[Philip Boswell (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) (SNP)]

Does the hon. Gentleman agree with the recommendation on fireworks and animal welfare in the British Veterinary Association report that he quoted? The association recommends that better legislation and enforcement is put in place, particularly regarding the noise control of fireworks given that virtually silent fireworks are available.

[David Mackintosh]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point and I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response. The British Fireworks Association observes that the industry is responsible and is already heavily and effectively regulated—a point that I will put to the Minister later. The association also points out, for balance, that the industry employs thousands of people, and it is understandably concerned about the impact that the measures outlined in the petition might have on the industry.

The British Fireworks Association is opposed to tighter regulations, believing that they could introduce or lead to an increase in illegal sales and create a black market trade, and worrying that they could create additional problems for the enforcement agencies. The association believes that extra regulations could prevent thousands of people across the UK from celebrating weddings, birthdays and other occasions with a firework display and could force legitimate importers and retailers out of business, costing hundreds of jobs.

Clearly, the vast majority of people who use fireworks do so responsibly and in accordance with the law. When distress is caused to animals—domestic pets, wildlife or livestock—it is most likely the result of a lack of understanding of the issue, as opposed to irresponsible or inappropriate use. However, we need more effective enforcement of the current rules. The most effective way to reduce the suffering of affected animals may be through education instead of legislation. Estimates seem to vary as to the percentage of pets and other animals that are distressed by fireworks, but it is generally accepted by animal welfare organisations that the figures are significant, and that concern among animal owners is increasing.

Given the level of concern, we need to consider several questions in this debate. For instance, do the existing laws, regulations and guidelines reasonably provide for animal welfare? Are enforcement measures adequate? Are the public sufficiently aware of their responsibilities when using fireworks and of the possible unintended consequences? To what extent could firework manufacturers and retailers reasonably help to mitigate the impact on animals and wildlife? Can more be done to support the owners of pets and livestock to lessen the possibility of distress and injury suffered by those animals?

More than 100,000 people have added their signatures to the petition, calling for the issue to be looked at again. I look forward to hon. Members’ contributions and, of course, to hearing the Government’s response.

--- Later in debate ---

[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.