Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to ban sky lanterns.

We are commissioning new research to examine the risks that sky lanterns pose to the environment and potential avenues for mitigating any significant risks. We expect this new research to be completed in the new year, following which we will be in a position to consider next steps.

Local authorities already have powers to apply local controls to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns on council or public land. A number of councils have already introduced a ban in England, Scotland and Wales.