On 12th November, Dr Neil Hudson, Member of Parliament for Epping Forest, and Shadow DEFRA Minister, joined up with the Fireworks Impact Coalition in Parliament to promote its campaign for an urgent review of firework legislation, to protect people and animals from fireworks’ physical and mental harms.
The Fireworks Impact Coalition is a coalition of charities united in their calls for the need to review currently fireworks legislation with a view to reforming it so limits are placed on when and where fireworks can be used, in order to better protect people from burns, and the distress some people, and animals can face from the unpredictable and loud nature of fireworks that is not addressed by current legislation.
This campaign has long received public support by Dr Hudson, the first veterinary surgeon to be elected as a Member of Parliament since 1884. He has hosted a previous event on behalf of this campaign, and in January he spoke in support of Sarah Owen MP’s Fireworks Bill that is currently proceeding through the House of Commons, which would prohibit the public sale of fireworks that are deemed ‘low-to-medium hazard’ and ‘medium hazard’ under Firework Regulations 2004, limit the noise limit from fireworks to 90 decibels and allow fireworks to only be sold from licensed retailers.
Following the event, Dr Hudson remarked:
“As a veterinary surgeon, I have seen firsthand the severe harm fireworks can cause to animals of all kinds, large and small, domestic and wild. The loud and unpredictable noises can cause severe distress that can cause them to flee, which often sadly results in animals either going missing or being injured.
I am so grateful to all of the charities from the Fireworks Impact Coalition for coming together for this vital event, shedding light on this matter once again.”
