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Fireworks

3. Mr. David Drew (Stroud) (Lab): What action is being taken to tackle the misuse of fireworks. [191192]

The Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety (Ms Hazel Blears): Over the past 18 months, we have introduced new legislation to control the supply, possession and use of fireworks. In addition to the existing criminal sanctions for committing those offences, earlier this month we extended the penalty notices for the disorder scheme to include three new firework offences. That provides the police with an alternative sanction, if they consider it appropriate, by punishing offenders immediately with on-the-spot fines.

Mr. Drew: I thank the Minister for her reply. She will be aware that my hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, South (Mr. Tynan) is a hero in Stroud, as he is in many other constituencies, for piloting his private Member's Bill. Of course, the legislation can only be as effective as the police choose to make it, so will she guarantee that she is informing the police and the ancillary services that the matter is a priority? Will she assure me that the police will deal with the problem, because although any improvement could only be a step in the right direction, we have a long way to go?

Ms Blears: My hon. Friend is absolutely right that my hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, South is a hero, but my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) is also something of a hero because he chairs the all-party fireworks group and has made a tremendous contribution. He is absolutely right that the misuse of fireworks causes misery and distress to thousands of people and their families throughout the country. I recently received a dossier from Liverpool police showing where fireworks are being used as explosives to blow up cars, rather than for fun and entertainment. I assure him that I am in discussion with the police and trading standards and environmental health officers because tackling such antisocial behaviour is a matter for not only the police, but all our agencies.
 
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Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet) (Con): In joining the hon. Member for Stroud in commending the private Member's Bill of the hon. Member for Hamilton, South that was successfully enacted, will the Minister examine the specific problem of the selling of illegal fireworks, which is a cause of concern despite the welcome tightening of the regulations? Will she take this opportunity to praise the British Fireworks Association for doing everything possible to co-operate towards ensuring that the new legislation will be effective?

Ms Blears: The hon. Gentleman is right that it is important to tackle the issue on two fronts: first, the misuse of fireworks and, secondly, the import, supply and licensing of fireworks. We must follow fireworks that enter this country to ensure that they are not sold illegally and used for the activities that I outlined. I am in close contact with my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to examine import, supply and licensing issues. We will continue to bear down on the misuse and illegal use of fireworks, which causes much anguish and distress to many people.

Mr. Bill Tynan (Hamilton, South) (Lab): May I reinforce the point on the importation of fireworks? Some companies that bring fireworks into the country have no legal licensed storage areas. The fireworks go to farms and are then sold indiscriminately to white-van cowboys. Unless we deal with the individuals responsible for that, antisocial behaviour problems caused by fireworks will continue. Will my hon. Friend closely look into companies that are importing fireworks in such a manner and prevent that from happening in the future?

Ms Blears: I am delighted to give my hon. Friend that assurance. It is vital that such fireworks are properly tracked so that we know where they are going, and that they are not going to unlicensed suppliers. My hon. Friend has done a marvellous job in highlighting this issue. Before his involvement, there was a tendency to say that fireworks were harmless fun, but we all know from our postbags that that is not the case for people throughout this country. The misery and distress that has been caused is a matter of great concern to the House, and I can assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to press particularly on licensing and supply, which are as important as bearing down on actual misuse on the streets.

John Cryer (Hornchurch) (Lab): Will my hon. Friend look again at the possibility of a universal licensing system for all firework outlets? Will she also consider giving greater powers to trading standards officers to revoke licences under particular circumstances? Although the Fireworks Act 2003, which was originally proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, South, is extremely welcome, there could be loopholes in how it was redrafted as a Government Bill, which would leave the way open for unscrupulous traders.

Ms Blears: I understand my hon. Friend's concerns, but I believe that the current legislation means that a robust set of measures are in place. Of course we will want to monitor the impact, and if it is necessary to have a further review, we will do that. The range of measures
 
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that we now have includes a curfew on the use of fireworks during night hours, banning the supply of category 3 fireworks, ensuring that category 4 fireworks can be used only by professionals and ensuring that there are offences covering the throwing of fireworks in the street and youngsters under 18 who have adult fireworks in their possession. That is a major package of measures, and together with the tracking and licensing, it will provide robust legislation to minimise the problems. We will keep the situation under review, but all Members will agree that the measures that have been taken in recent times should make a significant difference to the problems that have been caused.

Mentally Ill Prisoners

5. Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York) (Con): What provision is made for the supervision of mentally ill individuals on probation on release from prison. [191194]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart): Prisoners who are released into probation supervision in the community are subject to licence conditions. Every licensee will be allocated a designated probation supervising officer who is responsible for developing with the individual a supervision plan based on a careful assessment of risk and need. Where a prisoner who is released on licence is identified as having a mental health problem, arrangements will be made either by the prison prior to release or by the supervising probation officer for the individual to be referred for assessment and appropriate treatment through the primary care trust local to the area in which he or she will be residing.

Miss McIntosh: I am grateful for the hon. Lady's answer, but actually, it is the Under-Secretary, her hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Paul Goggins), who has been dealing with the specific case I have in mind, which is very serious. The gentleman in question, who is at serious risk of reoffending, is of no fixed abode and has no specific supervision over him. There is a multiplicity of agencies in charge, but not one in overall control. In the event that this young lad reoffends, who will take responsibility for that?

Fiona Mactaggart: I have spoken to my hon. Friend about the case to which the hon. Lady referred, in which a multi-agency public protection arrangement is in place. It tries to draw together a range of services—health and housing services, for example—in order to prevent offending. If the hon. Lady is saying that present arrangements are not satisfactory in terms of having a designated, fundamentally responsible person, she is right. That is precisely the reason for developing the National Offender Management Service, which will provide a named person to act as back-stop for any offender in such a position.

Mr. Kelvin Hopkins (Luton, North) (Lab): Does my hon. Friend accept that a high proportion of prisoners released suffer from not just mental health problems but personality disorders. Many also have a dual diagnosis
 
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of alcohol and drug addition. Is proper monitoring taking place, and are arrangements in place to ensure that they have proper support for all their problems?

Fiona Mactaggart: My hon. Friend is right. A survey conducted in 1997 found that nine out of 10 mentally disordered offenders had one of the conditions to which he referred. We need to draw together the provision available to support people in the community. That is why we are working on a strategy for mentally disordered offenders, which will build on the work done in prisons—substantial extra investment has been made in mental health care in prisons—and ensure that there is carry-through into the health service.

Mr. Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath) (Con): As one whose constituency is not far from mine, the Minister might be aware that the northern end of my constituency is very close to Broadmoor hospital—indeed, schools in that part of the constituency all have Broadmoor alarms. The hon. Lady knows that recently, while on leave from Broadmoor to visit a hospital, a prisoner managed to escape the guards. That has caused considerable concern in my constituency and throughout the country. People might have got the impression from her answers today that the system remains far too bureaucratic. Sadly, in far too many cases, there are far too many cooks spoiling the broth. Does she recognise how much concern there is about this matter and that, for far too long, there has been confusion in government and bureaucratic systems about mentally disordered offenders who pose a risk to the public? I appreciate that she is trying to do something about the problem, but it is urgent.

Fiona Mactaggart: The hon. Gentleman knows that we have a good record on dealing with escapes—the original focus of his question. Our fundamental aim is to try to prevent escapes and reduce their number, and we have achieved great successes in that respect. We have made substantial extra investment in mental health care for prisoners and people on release, which is beginning to show results. The impression that he is trying to spread is unfounded.

Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): Further to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, North (Mr. Hopkins), it is clear that many criminals who fall into that category are in danger of self-harm. In several incidents in south Wales, criminals on release have taken their own life. In developing new suggestions, will my hon. Friend the Minister work closely with the health service and the National Assembly for Wales to make sure there is follow-through in terms of ensuring support for vulnerable criminals in both England and Wales?

Fiona Mactaggart: My hon. Friend is right that the issue is important. I assure him that we have never done more than we are doing now, but I shall communicate his concerns to the Assembly. I agree that we should be able to create effective follow-through for all prisoners, wherever they are released.
 
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Mrs. Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham) (Con): But the Minister must know that there is a problem. The probation service is so overstretched that administrative workers are covering supervisors' jobs; parole and court reports are late, or so last-minute that risk assessment processes are compromised; and now probation officers are being prevented from making prison visits to offenders who are due for release. With 60,000 prisoners with mental health problems released from prison each year, does the hon. Lady really feel that the public are adequately protected?

Fiona Mactaggart: They are more adequately protected than they have ever been. The hon. Lady should look at the investment that has been put in, resulting in 1,800 additional probation offices and 300-plus extra staff dealing with the mental health of prisoners and released prisoners. We are making the investment that would not have been made had the Conservatives remained in charge.

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