Chamber and committees

That is a good point.

This might seem a bit basic, but I would like to ask about the practicalities of the scheme. Do you envisage your officers going up to someone who is having a fireworks display in a small village or wherever and asking to see their licence? How will you know whether someone has a licence?

Thank you. That is interesting.

I think that colleagues will ask questions about that issue later.

My first two questions are for Alasdair Hay and Stuart Stevens. I have a separate question for David Hamilton, which I will ask later.

Could the charging of a fee be seen as pricing people out of being able to enjoy fireworks, as some people might not be able to afford the fee?

It was initially proposed that the licence would be valid for 12 months, and the intention is now for it to be valid for five years. A lot can happen in five years—for example, someone could pick up a criminal conviction in that time. Does that concern you?

What is your opinion on the proposed firework control zones? How effective could they be in reducing—[Inaudible.]—for vulnerable people?

Is there a danger of displacement in a community that has a control zone in it? Would the antisocial behaviour just move to another area?

Thank you. Rob Holland, can you do any planning for the days in November and other days when you know there will be a lot of fireworks? Will the control zones have an effect?

Animals do not enjoy fireworks—I think that that is a given—so would your organisation have preferred an outright ban on fireworks?

You will not be patrolling. Okay; thank you.

We have come very far in the space of two years; huge changes have had to be imposed because of Covid. It will probably take a bit longer to reach consensus so that the virtual approach can proceed. I hope that it can, because it is certainly beneficial to many people.

I have a brief comment rather than a question. Having listened to the evidence and read the briefing note, I feel reassured. My initial instinct was that the decisions are largely based on the judgments of a series of professionals and were not so much about a computer. That is what I felt from the start and it has been confirmed, so I am reassured.