, Member of Parliament for St
Austell and Newquay has secured a review of the legislation
covering balloon and sky lantern releases following a meeting
with Secretary of State for the Environment .
Steve recently met with in Parliament to request
review of the legislation covering littering to include balloon
and sky lantern releases, following Steve’s raising this matter
in Parliament earlier this year.
Commenting, Steve said:
“Earlier this year I attended the Plastic Free Cornwall Summit
and heard from the many voluntary groups that are already doing
so much in Cornwall about what a menace balloons and sky lanterns
are to our wildlife and environment.”
“On Love Your Beach Day in February I raised this matter in
Parliament, calling upon the government to consider reclassifying
balloon releases as littering.”
“Releasing balloons and lanterns is no different to littering.
You are just throwing rubbish up instead of down, and we all know
that what goes up must come down.
“The legislation around this was last reviewed in 2013. There is
much more awareness now of pollution caused by balloons and
lanterns and amending the policy in this way is a sensible and
achievable step to take.”
“I have now met with the Secretary of State for the Environment
in Parliament and was pleased that he has agreed to look into
this matter and review this policy.”
“I will await the outcome with interest.”
