The official response from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)

Dear Julie,

I am writing to you in response to your correspondence dated 16 November 2018 concerning the change.org petition on fireworks. I understand you did not receive the response the Office of Product Safety and Standards (the Office) sent you on 7 December 2018. The Office received a number of emails from you (directed from different email addresses) and as a result we responded to the first we received in the belief it would have reached you, as it appeared to have been sent by yourself. I attach that email and our original response.

Nevertheless, I recognise you would like to receive a further response to acknowledge the change.org petition, therefore, please consider this letter to be a response to that. This letter sets out the Government’s position.

The Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility, Kelly Tolhurst MP, has responsibility for fireworks legislation and policy. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, which is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has responsibility to ensure fireworks are safe for consumers to use, and that regulations are working effectively to provide protections where they are needed. 

The Government takes the matter of fireworks, product safety and the safety of the public very seriously. It understands that many people have strong feelings about the potential distress caused by fireworks to individuals and animals, including pets and livestock. That is one of the reasons why there are existing laws in place which control firework availability and use.

With regards to the existing UK legislation around fireworks, Government considers that it currently provides a strong framework for the sale of safe goods and the safe use of fireworks, including an enforcement structure for when fireworks are sold illegally or misused. Legislation limits the sale of fireworks, sets maximum allowable noise levels and provides penalties, including possible imprisonment, in certain circumstances. Where there have been issues identified, we have taken proactive measures such as banning certain dangerous items in the UK including bangers and jumping jacks.

As you know the Government has already responded to a very similar Parliamentary e-petition that reached over 300,000 signatures and which is governed by the Parliamentary Petitions Committee. Unfortunately, the change.org process does not provide a similar mechanism for a formal response. However, the Minister was made aware of the change.org petition at the time of the e-petition debate that took place in November 2018.

The Government’s policy on fireworks has been set out in the response to the recent e-petition on fireworks https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/231147 and the Minister, Kelly Tolhurst MP, further expanded on the Government’s position at the Westminster hall debate on 26 November 2018. Please see attached Hansard link here:  As a result of that e-petition and subsequent debate, the Minister stated that having received and listened to a wide range of concerns being raised in debate, and through correspondence and engagement from a range of parties with differing views, it was her responsibility to ensure she takes all relevant factors into consideration.  For that reason, officials in the Office have been asked to develop a full evidence base around fireworks.

The work officials are carrying out on the evidence base intends to cover the concerns raised in debate and extends beyond the immediate responsibilities of both BEIS and OPSS. The purpose of the evidence base is to provide the Government with fact-based data on the issues that have been raised in parliamentary debates and petitions, or through correspondence.

The Minister’s position remains that there is no intention to carry out a review or consultation on fireworks legislation at this time, as she will be considering the evidence base in the first instance.

Officials have been in touch with you recently to invite you to share any information, data or research you might have access to as part of the work being carried out to develop the evidence base that they would not already have access to or which is not in the public sphere. If you hold any factual data that has not already been published or shared, I would encourage you to share it with OPSS so it can form part of the full evidence base.

PLEASE DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR A RESULT! They are asking for factual evidence and there is none. I think that all the signatures on all the petitions should be sufficient.