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15 Dec 2004 : Column 1172W—continued
Fireworks
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) warnings, (b) fixed penalty notices and (c) prosecutions there have been for breaches of Fireworks Act 2003 provisions governing use and sale of fireworks in each police authority area, grouped by region. [203397]
Ms Blears [holding answer 8 December 2004]: The latest provisional data in the following table shows that, from 1 October 2003 to 31 October 2004, 314 penalty notices for disorder have been issued and notified to the Home Office by police forces in England and Wales for offences involving fireworks. These include throwing fireworks, breaches of fireworks curfews and the illegal possession of certain categories of fireworks. These are shown by region and police force area in the table.
Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database on defendants cautioned (including reprimands and final warnings for juveniles) and proceeded against for firework offences, England and Wales 2003, are also shown in the table.
Statistics on cautions and court proceedings for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
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(21) These data are on the principal offence basis.
(22) Includes reprimands and final warnings for juveniles.
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Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provisions in (a) the Fireworks Act 2003 and (b) other relevant legislation in controlling the misuse of fireworks. [203900]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Measures introduced under the Fireworks Act 2003 and Consumer Protection Act 1987—the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Fireworks (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2004, respectively, were made in the summer of 2004. Additionally, two of the measures introduced by the Fireworks Regulations 2004 are set to come into force on 1 January 2005.
Given the above, it is still too early to gain an overall picture of the effectiveness of the regulations—a more complete picture will emerge after the next fireworks season of 2005.
Notwithstanding the above, early anecdotal reports from enforcers across the country indicate that the November fireworks season of 2004 has seen an improvement on last year. For example, the Fire and Rescue Service in Merseyside, where criminal damage with fireworks is a particular problem, estimate a 70 to 80 per cent. reduction in incidents of criminal damage caused in this way during the last fireworks season.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions of individuals for (a) selling fireworks without a licence, (b) selling fireworks that did not conform to British Standards BS 7114, (c) selling adult fireworks to individuals below the age of 18 and (d) storing fireworks in an unsafe manner there were in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2003 in (A) the UK, (B) Wales and (C) the South Wales Police Force area. [203901]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
The number of prosecutions for (a) , (b) , (c) and (d) , where local Trading Standards Departments are the prosecuting authority, are not centrally available.
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However, the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) has initiated an annual collection of data from local authorities with respect to prosecutions for the above offences. The figures for 2004 will be made available in early 2005.
With regard to (d) , where the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the prosecuting authority, there has been one prosecution since 2003 for unsafe storage in England. There were no prosecutions in Wales.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firework-related (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) incidences of damage to property there were in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2003 in (A) the UK, (B) Wales and (C) the South Wales Police Force area. [203902]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
In answer to (a), during 2003 there were no fatalities in the UK as a result of the use of fireworks. The statistics for the 2004 fireworks season are published annually in March—so are not yet available. However, I am not aware of any fatalities during the 2004 period.
With regard to (b), during 2003 there were 110 injuries in the UK where hospital overnight treatment was required. A regional or national break down of such injuries (serious injuries) is not available. Again, with regard to the figures for 2004, a comparative figure for this period is not yet available for the UK.
Finally, a breakdown detailing the various causes of criminal damage is not centrally available.
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