Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of strengthening existing regulations on the storage of fireworks by retailers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is an independent regulator and has policy responsibility for the Explosives Regulations 2014 (as amended) which set out the framework for the safe and secure manufacture and storage of explosives, including fireworks.

These Regulations are supported by overarching guidance on safety - https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l150.htm and security - https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l151.htm

Subsector guidance is also available for storing and selling fireworks safely - https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg407.htm - and detailed guidance relating to fireworks in retail premises - https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/er2014-fireworks-retail-prem.pdf

There is already comprehensive legislation and guidance in this area to enable retailers involved in the storage of fireworks to do so safely and so there are no plans at this time to strengthening existing regulations in this area.