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"Now, it's over
to you Miss Johnson. The electorate's views
are very clear on this issue. Are you going
to continue with this charade, or are you going
to make a real difference to people's lives in
the United Kingdom, by having the courage, to
bring about new legislation for the first time in
the history of this subject?"
January began with news of the death of a boy,
and of two firework Bills being presented in the
House of Commons, by Barry Gardiner MP & Joan
Ryan MP.
On January 9, a Parliamentary Question was asked
of the Prime Minister, by Joan Ryan Labour MP for
Enfield North. She asked, "Just four
weeks ago, on 12 December, a 13 year old boy in
my constituency died in a tragic accident
involving fireworks. His family are
absolutely devastated. In the light of the
terrible loss of that young life and the almost
1000 firework related injuries that occur each
year. Will the Prime Minister look again at
whether the legislation that allows the retail
sale of fireworks is adequate, and whether
further measures could be taken to protect the
public, especially young people from the dangers
that fireworks present?"
The Prime Minister replied "The risks
associated with fireworks are very clear, as my
hon friend says. Once the Government has
the full statistics and the results of the survey
of firework injuries that have occurred this year
we will certainly consider whether any changes
are necessary. As a result of actions taken
over many years, we have succeeded in reducing
the number of accidents significantly. But
if something remains to be done, once we have
completed the survey, and done the analysis, of
what changes need to be put in place, we will
change the system even further."
The first Bill, presented to the House of
Commons, by Barry Gardiner sought to revive the
1998 Firework Safety Regulations, which is a
Government hand-out Bill from the Department of
Trade and Industry presented for them in 1998, by
Linda Gilroy MP Plymouth. These measures
included the licensing of firework displays,
looking again at the time when fireworks could go
on sale, the licensing of fireworks in the shops.
Forbidding shops to continue selling fireworks if
they have broken the law by selling illegally to
children under age, or breaking storage laws by
overstocking their premises with fireworks.
The first reading passed muster with 33 MPs
supporting. The next reading is on March 15
2002. After that reading the Bill finishes,
and the process comes to an end, unless the
Government brings it forward by giving it proper
parliamentary time.
The second Bill by Joan Ryan is an update of
the 1998 Bill. While most people want to
see fireworks licensed for displays they are no
longer willing to see fireworks on sale in the
shops, or more voluntary measures, the sort that
the firework industry like, and that we have had
foisted upon us all since the law was brought in
to control fireworks in 1875. Opinion
Polls, MP's mailbags and thousands of letters
from all parts of the country have all said the
same thing. "We want a ban on retail
sales."
Most MPs have already written to the Consumer
Affairs Minister Melanie Johnson about this.
People are no longer willing to put up with
horrendous noise of the new fireworks that are
now all in Category 4, and are so easy to obtain
in every part of the UK. Added to a ban on
retail sales, we are calling for licensed
firework displays, and a national training scheme
for display operators.
What could be simpler. Most other countries
now enjoy their fireworks at licensed displays,
and without the kind of injury totals we see year
after year, so why can't we?
With licensed displays the Local Authorities can
determine the safety requirements of the displays
in their areas. Safety standards, not
guidelines, can be laid down, to ensure no
more nasty accidents and fatalities. With
fireworks out of the hands of the shopkeepers,
they are then out of the hands of children, who
use them as weapons against each other.
They are out of the hands of irresponsible people
who annoy their neighbours with midnight firework
displays that continue unabated into the early
hours of the morning. They are out of the
hands of sadists who torture animals. Every
years hundreds of animals are injured or killed
by fireworks. Almost every animal in the UK
is frightened and traumatised by fireworks, and
we have mail to prove it.
The Scottish SPCA has also called for a change in
laws regulating the sale of fireworks after a
survey of vets throughout Scotland showed that up
to 10,000 pets and farm animals were killed or
injured in 2001. According to its report - Fireworks
and Animals: A Survey of Scottish Vets in 2001 -
dozens of animals were killed by deliberate
firework attacks while thousands more suffered
stress, anxiety and accidents that led, in some
cases, to their being put to sleep
On the subject of fireworks and animals, a
question has been raised over the firework
display planned for the start of the Olympic
Games at Salt Lake City. The firework
display has been thrown into doubt because of a
herd of Elks nearby. Experts fear the
horrendous noise from explosives used at the
display, could cause the Elks, who are in their
natural environment, to panic and stampede.
We have been calling for firework safety measures
for too long, for 33 years, and when we started
there were individuals, many in the medical
profession, who have been campaigning since the
1930's.
Joan Ryan's Bill to be read on 27 February 2002,
deserves to be supported, and we ask everyone who
cares about firework safety to write to Ms Ryan
in their droves with their support and to write
to us with their membership, help and support.
We have written to the Prime Minister asking for
his help. Our letters, once read, have been
passed on to the DTI. Another bland reply,
in the series of bland replies, has been made,
similar to the ones we have been receiving from
that Department for 27 years.
Now, it's over to you Miss Johnson. The
electorate's views are very clear on this issue.
Are you going to continue with this charade, or
are you going to make a real difference to
people's lives in the United Kingdom, by having
the courage, to bring about new legislation for
the first time in the history of this subject?
Noel
February 2002
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