This petition was submitted during the 2019 to 2024 Parliament
Closed petition Limit the Sale and Use of Fireworks to Organisers of Licensed Displays Only
Closed on
Current legislation allows for public use of fireworks 16 hours a day, every day, making it impossible for vulnerable groups to take precautions against the distress they can cause. Better enforcement of existing law is insufficient; limiting their sale & use to licensed displays only is necessary.
Restrictions on the sale & use of fireworks has huge public support and is backed by several human and animal charities. Limiting the sale & use of fireworks to displays only, by introducing licensing via local authorities, would help to protect vulnerable people and animals from the distress and anxiety caused by unexpected firework noise & pollution. Legislation that balances people’s desires for firework displays, and individual rights to not be distressed throughout the year, is needed now.
301,611 signatures
Petition progress
View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.
-
Parliament debated this petition
-
Parliament will debate this petition on 8 November 2021
You’ll be able to watch online on the UK Parliament YouTube channel.
-
Petition closed
-
This petition will be considered for debate in Parliament
This petition got more than 100,000 signatures meaning the Petitions Committee will consider it for debate in Parliament.
-
Related activity
-
Government responded to this petition
The Petitions Committee inquiry in 2019 concluded that it would not be appropriate for the Government to ban the public use of fireworks.
Read the response in full
Last year, the Petitions Committee carried out an extensive inquiry into fireworks, which ran from February to November 2019. The Committee asked for evidence on the balance and effectiveness of existing legislation, the role and safety of public and private displays, and the needs of particular groups (such as veterans and people with disabilities), and animals. They received written and oral evidence representing a range of stakeholders, including from members of the public, representative bodies, organisations and charities, all with varying views on fireworks.
The Committee’s final report, published on 5 November 2019, concluded that they could not support a ban on the public buying and using fireworks. Their reasoning for no further legislative action was:
The likely effects on community groups and their local fundraising efforts;
The concerns about ineffectiveness of a ban and resulting unintended and counter-productive consequences for public safety;
The substantial economic effect a ban would have, in particular, on those who have built their livelihoods on the fireworks industry.
We agree with the conclusion of the Petitions Committee. In the Government’s response to the Committee, we also agreed that a ban could have the unintended consequence of pushing the market underground, driving individuals to source fireworks from illegitimate or unsafe suppliers. A ban could also prove detrimental to communities for cultural or financial reasons.
Nevertheless, the Government has committed to take further action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks and our actions will include:
Developing a public awareness campaign on the safe use of fireworks;
Engaging with animal charities to further discuss their work related to animal welfare issues;
Engaging with Local Authorities to understand the issues they face with regard to fireworks;
Engaging with the fireworks industry to discuss any additional action they might take to address the concerns raised around fireworks packaging appealing to underage individuals.
These actions show that the Government has been listening to the concerns that have been raised about fireworks and that work is continuing.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
-
Government will respond to this petition
This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.
-
Petition published
This petition can now be signed.
If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.
If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
This petition will stay open until 21 January 2021.