ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the findings of a report from the House of Commons Petitions Committee’s inquiry on the sale and use of fireworks.
The inquiry was launched as result of a number of petitions from the public expressing concerns about the impact of fireworks and calls for tighter restrictions and a total ban on public sales and use.
In the report the Committee noted that it could not support an outright ban of public sale and use of fireworks but have explored “less drastic, but potentially more effective” options.
ACS provided evidence to the Committee, highlighting the role that retailers play in preventing underage sales and ensuring that fireworks are stored and sold responsibly.
Key points from the report include:
- Concerns that the 5kg storage rule is open to misinterpretation
- The Government should work with local authorities to identify a best practice approach to a revenue-neutral, mandatory permit system for fireworks displays
- There should be a focus on the level of noise from fireworks
- The Government should conduct a review of online sales of fireworks, with a particular focus on sales via social media, with a view to establishing a national, cross-agency strategy to tackle the problem
- The Government should take steps to ensure that these age-restricted products are not packaged in a way which is designed to appeal to children and that it introduce appropriate regulations as soon as possible
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The sale of fireworks is declining in the convenience sector and those retailers who do sell fireworks understand their responsibilities when it comes to the storage and sale of these products, often going to trading standards as their first point of contact for any issues.
“The regulations strike the right balance to allow retailers to sell small amounts of fireworks in designated period responsibly. We will work with the Department for Business to ensure that the regulations are communicated clearly including the 5kg threshold for storage licenses.”
Findings from ACS’ Voice of Local Shops survey in August 2019 revealed that 93% of retailers do not sell fireworks, 3% sell only at certain times of the year, and 2% sell all year round.
ACS has produced Assured Advice Guides to support retailers with ‘Preventing Underage Sales’ and ‘Selling Fireworks’. The guides provide an overview of what is required of retailers as a business owner in terms of storing fireworks safely and selling them legally.
