Clause 47 - Dealing with noise at night
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
3:45 pm
Ms Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes, Labour)
I think that it was during the Committee's eighth sitting, when the hon. Member for Surrey Heath was telling us of a constituent who had written to him about fireworks being used at inappropriate times of night, that I tried to intervene on the hon. Gentleman; but the Chairman called me to order. Had I been allowed to proceed, I would have said that fireworks are one of the chief causes of antisocial behaviour, as they can cause so much noise late at night. I have received not hundreds but thousands of representations on that matter.
I understand that clause 47 deals also with residential properties, and I wonder whether powers exist to deal with noise related to fireworks at night. My hon. Friend the Minister will appreciate that a private Member's Bill on that subject, of which I am a co-sponsor, is going through the House. I understand that the Third Reading debate will take place in a couple of weeks' time. Does the Minister's Department have any plans to deal specifically with the antisocial use of fireworks, either through that legislation or in some other way?