Fireworks

Before you can say 'light the blue touch paper and retire', it will be Guy Fawkes Night again. Of course, it is more likely to be Guy Fawkes week, fortnight or month as far as many people are concerned.

Earlier this year there were two Bills introduced into Parliament to ban fireworks. I spoke against them both, on grounds of principle and practice.

In principle, I don't like banning things. We havn't lived through a thousand years of freedom and democracy, fought off invasions and gone to war against terrorism, just to be bossed into a ban on bangers.

In practice, it isn't all fireworks that most people object to - it's the aerial bombs that cause most grief. They do need controlling. They are dangerous and anti-social.

I've always loved fireworks. Properly organised parties around enormous bonfires on November 5th are part of our heritage. England is the only nation in the world that celebrates on that particular day. Like most other countries, we find lots to celebrate with fireworks at other times of year too - and why not?

Many people will tell you why not. Nurses and anyone working on night duty, the partially deaf, young children, owners of cats, dogs, horses, farm animals - and the firemen and medics who clear up when things go wrong - all will have their good reasons for opposing a free-for-all.

So what's to be done? I worked with the CBI firework manufacturer's group to persuade the Government not to ban the lot, but to tighten limits on the really big, noisy and dangerous monsters that cause real distress. This is also the line taken by one of the country's biggest and most successful pyrotechnics companies, famous for national spectaculars, which is based west of Salisbury.

Everyone agreed we must tighten up on illegal imports through ports inadequately covered by Customs. Dangerous sub-standard fireworks are then distributed by the white vanload across the country. So don't buy fireworks from dodgy sources.

By far the best firework displays will always be the spectacular festivals of light and colour that fill the sky with thrilling creation - and usually end with a bang. But lots of fun will be had in back-gardens, too, with happy kids and a few friends - and why not? But please take care.

All the real aggro will come from the selfish, irresponsible few who chuck bangers around in the street, frighten young and old and let off bangs without a thought for their neighbours or their animals. They must be discouraged, one way or another, without ruining the fun for the rest of us.

ROBERT KEY MP