Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on the use of (a) balloons and (b) Chinese lanterns on animal welfare grounds.
An independent study commissioned by the UK and Welsh Governments published in 2013 concluded that the impacts of sky lanterns and balloons on the health and welfare of livestock were relatively minor.
Initiatives to minimise risks include a voluntary code of practice for sky lanterns to ensure they are manufactured to be safe and are sold responsibly. The National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers, the trade association for the balloon industry, has also published a code of conduct on balloon releases. The Government considers the current voluntary regime, supported by existing information and guidance, is effective and proportionate.