Public call for more firework restrictions

A couple of weeks ago, I put out a survey for local people to share their views on fireworks.

Of course, I did so at a time when fireworks were fresh in people’s minds: right after Guy Fawkes Night.

This year, the many regular fireworks and bonfire displays that normally take place in early November were cancelled, as countless events and gatherings have been this year whilst we’ve battled one of the biggest threats to our way of life in living memory. Some households decided to host their own fireworks displays, safely in their back garden.

However, year after year, a minority of firework users cause upset to their neighbours in a range of different ways. For many, it’s time to take action.

Anecdotally, those I’ve spoken to who use fireworks personally agree something needs to change.

The survey I put out has provided a broader insight into the attitudes that local people have around fireworks.

Of around 1000 responses, 79 per cent said that they considered fireworks to be nuisance, with a slightly lower - yet still a significant majority - 74 per cent saying they considered them to be dangerous.

As an honorary vet with the BVA and honorary vice president of the

SSPCA, animal welfare is close to my heart. I asked respondents if they considered fireworks to be dangerous to pets, livestock, and wildlife. 87 per cent said yes.

So it’s clearly time for change. Of respondents to my survey, 89 per cent said that they wanted more restrictions on the private use of fireworks; the same number said that they wanted private firework use banned entirely, only to be permitted at properly organised and regulated events.

These results are not so dissimilar to the results of the Scottish Government’s own consultation on the matter, which began a couple of years ago.

People in Scotland - even those who use fireworks themselves - want more restrictions, or even an outright ban in certain circumstances.

In response, Ministers commissioned a review group to report on what action can and should be taken. Published at the beginning of last month, these included: the introduction on conditions around the sale of fireworks; day and time restrictions on their use; the introduction of no fireworks zones; making it illegal to buy fireworks for underaged people.

There is a balancing act to be struck under our current devolved powers settlement. Trade is a reserved matter to the Westminster Parliament, so the Scottish Government looking to ban the sale of something in - for example - supermarkets, might have some tricky legal hurdles along the way. Minimum unit pricing, for example, was contested in court, but ruled competent as the Scottish Government was introducing the measure to benefit public health - a devolved matter.

Nevertheless, I will share the results of my survey with the relevant Scottish Ministers, and will seek to raise it in the UK Parliament at the next appropriate opportunity. There is clearly a desire within local communities for real action here.

Finally, as we are now in December, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hogmanay when it comes. This has been a rough year for all of us - some more than others.

My thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones over the past year, and with those working on the frontline to keep us all safe.

As we enter 2021, there’s a glimmer of hope that this nightmare could soon be drawing to a close. Let’s hold onto that, look after each other, and look after ourselves in the meantime.