STRONGER REGULATIONS NEEDED ON FIREWORKS

Angus MP, Mike Weir, has backed calls for the government to look at stronger regulation on the use of fireworks.  Mr weir, who was one of the main sponsors of the 2003 Fireworks Act, intervened in the Queens Speech debate to support calls by Ken Purchase MP to look at the matter again.

Mr Weir noted that the problem lay with the regulations not the act itself.

“The regulations made under the 2003 act were not strong enough.  Bill Tynan, the former member for Hamilton South, who introduced the private members bill, table an Early Day Motion calling for the regulations to be withdrawn because he felt that after all that work, the regulations that the government came up with were not strong enough to deal with the menace.”

Speaking after the debate Mr Weir said that whilst the numbers of complaints he had received this year were down on previous years he still had received complaints from Arbroath, Montrose and Forfar.

“Fireworks still cause distress to many people and to their pets.  The 2003 act gave an opportunity to tackle this once and for all but the government did not grasp it.  Some manufacturers are now developing silent fireworks.

“A fresh look at the regulations should now be held to try and end this menace once and for all.”