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Fireworks Safety

Secondary information

Type

Parliamentary proceeding

Reference

498 c456-78 

Session

2008-09

Department

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber

Proceeding contributions

Ian Lucas | 498 c478 (Link to this contribution) With the leave of the House, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I shall respond in general terms in the short time ...

Mike Penning | 498 c477 (Link to this contribution) I will not give way, as I am short of time. We cannot eliminate the fact that there will be noise ou...

Show all contributions (92)

Philip Hollobone | 498 c472-3 (Link to this contribution) As usual, and as on so many matters, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. The fireworks season is far...

Jeremy Wright | 498 c472 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend is making a very good case. Does he agree that one of the other problems in this coun...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c473-4 (Link to this contribution) I am most grateful for that helpful intervention. I well remember the high-powered delegation he led...

Lord Bellingham | 498 c473 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend is putting a persuasive case and will recall that, a couple of years ago, he and I to...

John Mason | 498 c474-5 (Link to this contribution) I will do my best to be brief. We have had a useful speech on the history of fireworks from the hon....

Speaker | 498 c474 (Link to this contribution) Order. This debate must finish at 1.44 pm. Perhaps those hon. Members who are seeking to catch my ey...

Ian Lucas | 498 c476 (Link to this contribution) As I understand it, it is illegal to send fireworks through the ordinary post. They have to be sent ...

Mike Penning | 498 c475-6 (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to be able to take part in a debate that, for once, I know a fair bit about. I beca...

Mike Penning | 498 c476-7 (Link to this contribution) For clarification, what is special delivery? There is still somebody walking around delivering somet...

John Mason | 498 c470 (Link to this contribution) I wonder whether the hon. Gentleman is going slightly too far by demanding a complete ban. When peop...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c471 (Link to this contribution) I respect and understand the hon. Gentleman's point of view. The point that I am making on behalf of...

Baroness Burt of Solihull | 498 c472 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the fact that burglars and car thieves may not be wild about bonfire night does not c...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c472 (Link to this contribution) It is not that the police are going around snooping on people holding private parties, because that ...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c472 (Link to this contribution) I was burgled at that time of year, although it happened a good few years ago. The police told me th...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c472 (Link to this contribution) It is probable that we are both right, and that both factors play a part.

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest | 498 c471 (Link to this contribution) I am enjoying the rocket that the hon. Gentleman is giving all three Front Benches, but does he not ...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c471 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has made a good point with which many Members will agree, but, although I share h...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c467-8 (Link to this contribution) To be picky about this, firefighters deal with fire and safety. When I was discussing this with them...

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest | 498 c469 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the hon. Lady for allowing me to intervene on noise reduction. I am trying to work ...

Baroness Burt of Solihull | 498 c469 (Link to this contribution) I am questioning the Minister, asking him whether he would be prepared to look at the issue, which I...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c469-70 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Leader of the House for making the time available for this afternoon's debate. ...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c470 (Link to this contribution) It is true that it is illegal to sell fireworks to children, but it is at family parties that childr...

Baroness Burt of Solihull | 498 c468 (Link to this contribution) I am not personally a huge fan of fireworks, but I know that they bring great pleasure to millions o...

Mike Penning | 498 c468 (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Lady agree that it is ludicrous to be able to purchase fireworks over the internet? It...

Baroness Burt of Solihull | 498 c468-9 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's intervention. I had my researcher on the internet yesterday t...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c470 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Lady is spot on. That is why I want the retail sale of fireworks to be banned. Although inj...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c465 (Link to this contribution) Was it not a shame that the Government did not give some of their time to enable the legislation to ...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c465 (Link to this contribution) I am delighted to take part in this topical debate. When it was announced, I got out my heavily anno...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c464-5 (Link to this contribution) With the advent of modern technology—distributive processing, systems being able to interoperate wit...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c466 (Link to this contribution) I was simply saying that the number of complaints that I was getting in my postbag—about, for exampl...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c466 (Link to this contribution) I am listening to the hon. Lady with great interest. The latest statistics from the national inciden...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c465-6 (Link to this contribution) This one had always been done as a private Member's Bill. I was chair of the all-party group on fire...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c466-7 (Link to this contribution) I think I know what the hon. Gentleman is going to say. I will give way to him in a few seconds. Th...

Mike Penning | 498 c467 (Link to this contribution) Actually, I was not going to mention multi-launchers, although I shall talk about them later if I ca...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c463 (Link to this contribution) I will come to that point in general terms in a moment, but we are open to looking at the evidence o...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c463 (Link to this contribution) A little boy was squeezing my hand at the last fireworks night and saying, "Why don't they make fire...

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest | 498 c463 (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Gentleman see any merit in regulations that would allow slightly quieter fireworks for...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) The point is incredibly well put and I agree with it entirely. The statistics have been gathered sin...

Mike Penning | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) Having been a fireman, I cannot believe that the Government stopped collecting the data, given that ...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) I am glad that my hon. Friend has told the House the numbers. The question now is: what has been the...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) Perhaps I can help my hon. Friend out. In 2005, which was the last year in which the statistics were...

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman and I share an obsession with data, so will he confirm whether he is saying that ...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) There is a cost to data collection, and we must ensure that it is not disproportionate. However, in ...

Mike Penning | 498 c464 (Link to this contribution) Perhaps I can help my hon. Friend. In my other role, as a shadow Health Minister, I can tell him tha...

Peter Bone | 498 c462 (Link to this contribution) Has my hon. Friend considered the later Animal Welfare Act 2006, which puts a duty of care on pet ow...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c462 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for his intervention. That debate on fireworks safety, which led to the introdu...

Ian Lucas | 498 c462 (Link to this contribution) I ought to pay tribute to my former colleague, Bill Tynan, who took forward the Fireworks Act. I omi...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c461 (Link to this contribution) It was not uncontroversial, because it contained enabling measures bestowing the power on a future S...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c461 (Link to this contribution) It was.

Adam Afriyie | 498 c462-3 (Link to this contribution) Quite right. My hon. Friend has put the point clearly and fairly eloquently. As I said, I hope that ...

John Mason | 498 c463 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman says that he would not like a complete ban, and I tend to agree, but would he be ...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c462 (Link to this contribution) Very much so, which is why I mentioned in my opening remarks that we have to consider the irresponsi...

Jeremy Wright | 498 c462 (Link to this contribution) Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the difficulties for animal owners is the unexpected use of fi...

Ian Lucas | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) I have heard my hon. Friend's views, and I know that a number of hon. Members hold similar ones. The...

Barry Sheerman | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) I wonder if my hon. Friend agrees with me on this matter, although he might think my position strang...

Ian Lucas | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman. I have been at displays that were certainly far better tha...

John Mason | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) To follow up on that point, does the Minister at least agree that via publicity and so on we should ...

Ian Lucas | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes a sensible and helpful point, and I will certainly take it back to the Departme...

Shona McIsaac | 498 c461 (Link to this contribution) Very few.

Jeremy Wright | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) May I take the Minister back to a point he made earlier in reference to what we are discussing now? ...

Ian Lucas | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) It is an exaggeration to say that the fireworks season extends that far. There was a major concern a...

Speaker | 498 c460 (Link to this contribution) Order. I am afraid that the Minister has had his allotted time. I call Mr. Adam Afriyie.

Adam Afriyie | 498 c461 (Link to this contribution) I am delighted that this debate has arisen today. It covers an important issue, and provides a timel...

Derek Twigg | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) I get fewer complaints than I used to before the Act was passed, but there are still problems with s...

Ian Lucas | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) Clearly, the sort of behaviour that my hon. Friend describes is completely unacceptable. Of course, ...

David Leslie Taylor | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) Firework sellers who break the law can face stiff fines or even prison, but is the Minister satisfie...

Ian Lucas | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) I do not have a view on that, but I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the matter with me. I ...

Robert Flello | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) Before my hon. Friend moves on, may I say that the concern often raised with me, in addition to thos...

Ian Lucas | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) Clearly the issue of noise continues to cause concern, and we are monitoring it closely within the D...

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) The legislation as it stands has made the use of fireworks more enjoyable for many Sandwell resident...

David Drew | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) I accept that fireworks are part of our culture and they are very exciting to all of us. There have ...

Ian Lucas | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) The Fireworks Act 2003 placed new restrictions on dealing in fireworks. I will be going into those i...

Ian Lucas | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) I will be coming to that later in my speech, but I certainly have a view on the matter. The effect o...

Robert Flello | 498 c459 (Link to this contribution) I have noticed that the information provided with fireworks talks about the distance that should be ...

Ian Lucas | 498 c458 (Link to this contribution) If the hon. Gentleman is patient, I will address that issue. He is right to say that the injuries ar...

Ian Lucas | 498 c458-9 (Link to this contribution) I hear what the hon. Gentleman says and I take his point about the inability to stop the process, bu...

Mike Penning | 498 c458 (Link to this contribution) What the Minister has just said is not factually true. That sort of firework is not safer, because o...

Ian Lucas | 498 c457 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes an interesting point. In fact, I made some inquiries within the Department abou...

Lord Dodds of Duncairn | 498 c458 (Link to this contribution) Has the Minister had a look at the situation in Northern Ireland, which has had legislation restrict...

Ian Lucas | 498 c458 (Link to this contribution) I am pleased to hear that the position has improved in Northern Ireland. We monitor the position con...

Ian Lucas | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) I beg to move,"That this House has considered the matter of fireworks safety." This is, of course, ...

Speaker | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) That is not a point of order for the Chair, but the hon. Gentleman's comments have been noted.

Paul Flynn | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Is it not extraordinary that we are into the debate, but ...

Ian Lucas | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) As I was saying, my Department has—

Peter Bone | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) The Minister is talking about injury to human beings. One of my constituents, Andrew Meads, has camp...

Ian Lucas | 498 c456 (Link to this contribution) I will certainly give way to the hon. Gentleman.

Baroness Burt of Solihull | 498 c471 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has already given us evidence of his mastery of the various statistics. He has to...

Philip Hollobone | 498 c471 (Link to this contribution) I have absolutely no idea. It would be nice if the Government could tell us, and that is another rea...

Mike Penning | 498 c458 (Link to this contribution) I apologise for being slightly late for the start of the debate. As a former fireman whose life was...

Adam Afriyie | 498 c461 (Link to this contribution) It was not an uncontroversial Act.

Subjects

Animal welfare Injuries Fireworks Pollution control Noise Statistics Safety Retail trade

Link

View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk