Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has undertaken a recent review of the risks to (a) livestock, (b) property and (c) the environment arising from the release of Chinese lanterns; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a nationwide ban.

Local councils already have powers to apply local controls to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns (including Chinese lanterns) on council or public land or issue a fixed penalty notice for littering.

Voluntary initiatives aimed at minimising the risks associated with sky lanterns also exist, including the Code of Practice for sky lanterns developed by industry to ensure that they are manufactured to be safe and are sold responsibly.