Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Tuesday 30th August 2022

The Government takes public safety very seriously. While there are no plans to introduce a blanket ban on disposable barbeques, the Government is taking a range of action to keep people safe.

The Government takes public safety very seriously and is aware of the incidents involving disposable barbeques and the wider consequences such as wildfires during the recent hot and dry spell during the summer.

While there are no plans to introduce a blanket ban on disposable barbeques, the Government is taking action in a number of areas to keep people safe. This includes:

- Ensuring disposable barbeques are safe and include clear instructions on use. All products must conform with the relevant product safety legislative requirements, with the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR) placing obligations on manufacturers to ensure that products are safe for the consumer before placing them on the market. These regulations specifically require that a product be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use and includes obligations to provide appropriate labelling, warnings and instructions on use.

- Building understanding of the risks of disposable barbeques. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is commissioning research to examine the role that disposable barbeques play in wildfires and the findings will help to inform future decisions.

- Enabling local authorities to take action where there is a significant local risk posed. Local Authorities have powers to restrict the use of disposable barbeques, using a Public Spaces Protection Order, made under Section 59 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Targeted action has already been taken in Dorset, Brighton and Hove, Olney and Fylde. The Government encourages all local authorities to use these existing powers to take similar steps if they feel it necessary.

- Supporting consumers to use disposable barbeques safely and responsibly. Information and advice on the safe use of barbeques is provided by the Home Office and the National Fire Chiefs Council through the Fire Kills campaign. Information about outdoor fire safety is available on the Fire England website: https://fireengland.uk/fire-safety/fire-safety-outdoors. The campaign is supported and promoted by Fire Rescue Services to improve fire safety within local communities. The Government will continue to work across Departments to ensure that safety messages are as effective, consistent and targeted as possible. In its role as national product regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) provides information and campaigns for consumers on how to stay safe. OPSS works with partners such as RoSPA to raise awareness of the importance of using products safely and responsibly.

We will continue to gather intelligence on the issues raised and work across Government so that we can monitor and assess the safety risks presented.

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy