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Firework Nuisance

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) on securing the Adjournment debate. It was a great pleasure to accompany him to No. 10 Downing street to present the petition last week. In Shrewsbury we have a famous flower show every year, at the end of which we have a huge firework display, which is licensed and very enjoyable, and many people come to it. My main concern, as my hon. Friends have stated previously, is the constant firework display that we have throughout the year. My hon. Friend mentioned my interest in horses. Before my wife and I moved to my constituency, Shrewsbury, we ran an equestrian centre in Herefordshire, near Leominster. We had some 30 horses on livery. I will never forget the evening when some neighbours in the village decided to celebrate their daughter’s wedding with a huge firework display in the village. Hon. Members would have laughed at the image of me in my dressing gown running around after 30 horses at 1 o’clock in the morning. It was an extremely frightening moment. The horses were not only my own, but other people’s that I was looking after, and I was responsible for them and for safety outside my property if they got loose and went on to the road and into the village. I agree with my hon. Friends and urge the Minister to consider some form of licensing so that people, especially in rural areas, are held to account for firework displays, because of the impact that they can have on farms, equestrian farms and various other types of agricultural holding, such as the one that I had. I met the Minister during the summer on a different issue, and I find him one of the most professional and reasonable Ministers in this Labour Government. I genuinely think that he is a very good Minister. I sincerely urge him to examine this issue, about which I and many people in my constituency feel very strongly.