Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Chief Constable of Lancashire's recommendation for the public sale of fireworks to be banned.

There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks that controls the sale, availability and use of fireworks, as well as setting a curfew and noise limit. The Government remains committed to promoting the safe and considerate use of fireworks through the effective legislative framework and through non-legislative measures – a position also recommended by the Petitions Committee in its 2019 inquiry into fireworks (HC103).

The Government launched a public awareness campaign for the 2020 fireworks season. The focus of the campaign was to educate people on how to buy, use, store and dispose of fireworks safely; ensure retailers know and understand their responsibilities when selling fireworks; and, promote the considerate use of fireworks, so that people and animals can be better protected from any negative effects that may be caused by fireworks.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour. The latest police recorded incident data released on 28 October showed a continued fall in anti-social behaviour (ASB) as of June 2020 (down 33% since 2012/13). A regional assessment of trends in the level of anti-social behaviour in relation to the discharge of fireworks was not included.