2012 No. 2963
Consumer Protection
The Product Safety Amendment and Revocation Regulations 2012
Made 24th November 2012
Laid before Parliament 28th November 2012
Coming into force 6th April 2013

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
1987 c. 43. Subsection (5) was amended by S.I. 2008/960.
In accordance with section 11(5) of that Act the Secretary of State has consulted such organisations as appear to him to be representative of interests substantially affected by these Regulations and such other persons as he considers appropriate.

1 Citation and Commencement
These Regulations may be cited as the Product Safety Amendment and Revocation Regulations 2012 and come into force on 6th April 2013.

2 Amendment
For Regulation 15 of the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010 substitute—

“15 1 No person shall supply—
(a) a Christmas cracker to any person under the age of twelve years;
(b) any other category 1 firework to any person under the age of sixteen years.
2 No person shall supply a category 2 or 3 firework to any person under the age of eighteen years.
3 In this Regulation—
“Christmas cracker” means a paper or foil tube, crimped at each end, enclosing novelties and with one or more snaps running along the length of the tube; and
“snap” means two overlapping strips of cardboard or paper, or two strings, with a friction-sensitive pyrotechnic composition in sliding contact with an abrasive surface and designed to be held in the hand.”

.
S.I. 2010/1554 to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

3 Revocation
The Pencils and Graphic Instruments (Safety) Regulations 1998 are revoked.
S.I. 1998/2406 as amended by S.I. 2011/1043 and S.I. 2011/1881.
Jo Swinson Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 24th November 2012

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend and revoke two statutory instruments relating to product safety.
Regulation 2 amends the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety Regulations) 2010 to substitute a lower age restriction for the supply of a Christmas cracker which is a category 1 firework. This is in line with the minimum limit set by Directive 2007/23/EC on the placing on the market of pyrotechnic articles (OJ L154, 14/6/2007, p.1).
Regulation 3 revokes the Pencils and Graphic Instruments (Safety) Regulations 1998.
An impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs to business and the voluntary sector is available from the BIS website (www.bis.gov.uk). It is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside a copy of the instrument at: www.legislation.gov.uk.