Minister supports 'fundamental shift' in sale and use of fireworks
A group made up of police, fire and animal welfare representatives in Scotland is calling for tighter restrictions on the purchasing and use of fireworks as well as the introduction of 'no fireworks areas'.
Following widespread public support for action to reduce the negative impact of fireworks, the independent Firework Review Group submitted its final report to the Scottish government, urging ministers to introduce significant changes to the ways fireworks are bought and used.
The group includes representatives from the BVA and Scottish SPCA, and is chaired by former chief fire officer Alasdair Hay. It set out a number of recommendations in its report, including:
- the introduction of mandatory conditions when purchasing fireworks from retailers
- restricting the times of day that fireworks are sold and the amount of fireworks that can be purchased at once
- restricting the days and times that fireworks can be set off
- the establishment of no firework areas or zones
- the creation of a proxy purchasing offence to prevent adults from purchasing fireworks on behalf of people under 18.
Community safety minister Ash Denham responded to the report, telling parliament: “I welcome and fully endorse these recommendations and thank Alasdair Hay and the members of the Review Group for their diligent work, especially in recent months during the pandemic.
“We are determined to keep all of Scotland’s communities safe from the harmful use of fireworks and the group’s findings will help us achieve that.
“I will now explore how these recommendations can be implemented, within the powers available to Parliament, and bring forward legislation to make these a reality.”
Kathleen Robertson, president of BVA's Scottish branch, represented the views of the veterinary profession in the group. She commented: "The loud and high-pitched noises from fireworks can be extremely traumatic for animals, and vets see first-hand the impact of firework-related distress at this time of the year.
"BVA has long supported calls for overhauling the current controls on the use and sale of fireworks, which we feel don't go far enough to protect the health and welfare of animals in Scotland and across the UK.
“We look forward to seeing the report’s recommendations implemented by the Scottish Government as soon as possible.”
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
