I love New Year’s Eve fireworks and have fond memories of attending my local council’s displays when I was a child. But every November, I receive regular reports from constituents of antisocial behaviour around fireworks. We must also recognise the serious animal welfare implications.

There are growing calls for stronger regulations on the sale of fireworks, reflected in two petitions presented to the Houses of Parliament. I spoke briefly in a Westminster Hall debate on these petitions to suggest that as well as imposing more stringent rules, we could also usefully address the shortfall in council funding. This is surely one factor behind the increased number of private displays in recent years.