Save Lives ( an open letter from my Sister explaining her petition)

09:30hrs 7 July 2003 Petition Now Closed on 92,835 sigantures

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAVE HELPED AND  SIGNED THE PETITION SO FAR especially Pat Ling for her massive 3462 sigantures.

WE HAVE ORGANISED A PRESENTATION TO 10 DOWNING STREET FOR THE 8TH JULY

AS WE ARE TO PRESENT THE PETITION IN JULY SIGNATURES WILL BE CONTINUED TO THE 28TH OF JUNE.

BILL TYNAN'S PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL DOES NOT ACTUALLY SAY WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO. OURS IS THE ONLY PETITION AT PRESENT CALLING FOR A BAN. WE MUST NOT TURN BACK NOW. IF THE TYNAN BILL IS PASSED OUR PETITION WILL TELL THE GOVERNMENT IN CLEAR TERMS WHAT IT SHOULD DO WITH ITS NEW POWER TO REGULATE.

Bill Tynan's Private Members Bill is in the news but will it work ????

We have 92,835 signatures calling for licenced displays only and a ban on public sales... and Bill Tynan MP says it will never be allowed.

Despite all the "Hot Air" surrounding Bill Tynan's "Fireworks Bill" it is only fair to everyone that I carry on for the full year. In fact as the Bill is only "Enabling" government to do something if it wants to our petition is more vital than ever.

The much vaunted Bill is not all it is cracked up to be and will not include a ban on the public sale of fireworks. It will not limit them to licenced displays only. Bill has written to us and has stated that he knows a ban on public sales will never be allowed by our parliament but wont say how he knows this.

Bill Tynan MP has placed a Private Members Bill before parliament which he claims will solve the problem and has government support. We welcome any attempt to improve the situation but have serious doubts over just how effective any bill is that says "The Secretary of State may... but first has to consult..." and goes on to give a list that includes the Firework Manufacturers.

The bill does not say that anything will be done or when it will be done or how it is to be funded or policed. Although it has been claimed that it will limit the sale of fireworks to just a three week period and ban loud fireworks the copy of the bill we have seen Control of Fireworks Bill 2003 (PDF Format) just says the Secretary of State may pass regulations after consulting with... . Everything other than allowing the government to do something is NOT in the bill. We are left with yet more "promises" and we all know what Government promises are like don't we? We hesitate to add the obvious that MAY does not mean MUST.

This Bill is being welcomed because in Bill Tyanan's own words (Our Dogs Feb 21 2003 page 4)

"...we are not inconveniencing the (firework) industry or hitting their sales...".

We believe having a half hearted law passed makes a ban less likely despite our petition. Mr Tynan himself has said this is exactly what the Fireworks Industry hopes he will do for them.

"In Fact the industry themselves are very suportive of my Bill, because they are aware of all the complaints leveled at Fireworks and I think they are keen to avoid calls for a total ban on retail sales, as in Northern Ireland".

This is the same Mr Tynan who says we will never get a ban. Obviously the Fireworks Industry disagrees with him and he knows it. Whose side is he on?

Mr Tynan's own comments later in the same article (Our Dogs Feb 21 2003 page 4) also put the responsiblity on the Retailer to keep a database on a computer of who they sell fireworks to including post code and house number.

It is clear that Mr Tynan is ignoring the Data Protection Act. There are forms that must be filled in and an annual registration fee that must be paid by every person who keeps such a list on a computer. The application must state who has access to that list and for what purpose.

What about the cost of the computer equipment and training to use it? Once again the Government is telling the small businessman to spend more money and time on keeping more records. That cost should be put on the Firework Industry not the small trader.

Even if such records were kept how do you track down the person responsible for an offence? By looking at the blown up fragments of a spent firework? Who is going to fund the police spending hundreds of pounds on forensic tests? What part of a firework carries your name and address or the details of who sold it?

There are too few resources to catch murderers, rapists and theives! Licences for Display in Northern Ireland are £30 and it is unlikely, if UK costs are similar, to raise sufficient income to police the Fireworks Act for the whole of the UK. A ban on the sale to the public including their use and possession would cost only the paperwork in parliament. Policing them then becomes as simple as arresting anyone trying to sell them in public or anyone seen with one in public not waiting till after the damage is done and trying to find out who did it.

The following article from BBC News shows why waiting till afterwards is not going to work. No one has been prosecuted for this and I doubt anyone ever will be.

Tuesday, 24 December, 2002, 10:21 GMT

Bomb squad called to car explosion

An army bomb squad was called out to deal with a car explosion and suspicious package in a Leeds suburb in the early hours of Christmas Eve. About 20 households, thought to number about 100 people, were taken to safety from the Church Lane area of Crossgates. The explosion left a Ford Escort damaged and a suspicious package, thought to be a large firework, was dumped in a nearby Vauxhall Omega. Police were alerted to the explosion at 0220 GMT and, having found the Escort damaged, saw the device in the Vauxhall Omega. A bomb squad from the nearby army garrison at Catterick were called out and residents evacuated to the Manston public house where they remained until 0530 GMT. Army experts made the device safe. Police from the Killingbeck station are investigating the incident.

Contact Teresa at tc.kulkarni@virgin.net.

We are not alone! Switzerland is also trying to get a ban on Fireworks. Read the frightening truth about the poisons in Fireworks at Stop Fireworks Also visit 'Know Fireworks' to see some of the horrific injuries and some of the sad stories of the victims. Another campaign by pet owners has started and can be found at pets against fireworks Also try the RSPCA site at RSPCA FIREWORK REPORT

The RSPCA Campaign for quieter fireworks does not go far enough. 95 decibels is the limit they want yet as little as 85 can damage human ears, what about animals whose hearing is considered far more sensitve? Please check out Dangerous Decibels

Manchester Evening News is also running a campaign to ban over the counter sales of fireworks and they can be found at 'Manchester Online' and read the terrible use these weapons are put to "Woman loses baby after attack by fireworks thugs"

Dear Nick, I have signed your petition but would just like you to know my story (I know, one of many) just for the record.

2001 Casualty figures for the four weeks covering Nov 5 were 1362 people! of those 450 were under 13. 1 boy died. More than 8,000 animals were injured or killed. This does not even begin to count the cost of damaged or destroyed property.

Recent Press Coverage in OUR DOGS (Feb 21 2003,thanks again to Nick Mays) is helping and HORSE magazine printed my letter in their March Edition (hits newstands in February) Also cover in Eastern Daily Press (21 Jan 2003) Peoples Friend, Cambridge Evening News, Weekly News and others. Please print a form and get some signatures. Even one or two on a form is better than nothing.

Due to pressure from a number of people and organisations who have joined the campaign only recently we have decided to extend the petition until the 28th June 2003. Forms must be sent back to me immediately it closes as the petition goes to Downing Street on the 8th of July.  PLEASE keep trying to get signatures as we need every last one. It is clear from recent Government interviews that unless we keep up the pressure nothing will be done or what is done will not be worth doing.

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