Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that fireworks are not sold to people under 18 years of age.

It is illegal to sell fireworks or sparklers to any person under the age of 18 years and all premises supplying fireworks are required to display a notice highlighting it is illegal to sell fireworks to under 18’s or for those under 18 to possess fireworks in a public place.

Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the law and work with businesses to help them comply. The Government has worked with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to provide training to front-line officers on firework enforcement. The maximum penalty for supplying fireworks to a person under 18 is a fine or three months imprisonment.

The Government launched an awareness campaign on 20 October to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks, and we have partnered with organisations including retail bodies to ensure retailers understand their responsibilities when selling fireworks.