Young: I’ll ban all items like scratch bombs

THE promised ban on the import of scratch-bombs will extend to items similar to scratch-bombs that may be named differently, said Stuart Young. The Minister of National Security spoke to Newsday at a family night at the Botanical Gardens, St Ann’s on Sunday.

Asked if Spanish Crackers will be included in the ban on scratch bombs, he said, “What the experts have to do is assess them. What we are putting (into legislation), I will try to go as substantive as possible.”

He promised a definition of scratch bombs to be “as broad as we can.”

Young also replied to critics who had argued scratch bombs are already illegal. He said the Summary Offence Act pertains to letting off fireworks, but section 37 of the Explosives Act lets the minister ban the actual import of these devices.

“This will be the first time under the Explosives Act that a minister is making a specific order to deal with these things.”

Young also clarified the issue in a recent post on Facebook, where he said that under the Explosives Act, the Minister of National Security may by order “prohibit absolutely, or subject to conditions or restrictions, the manufacture, keeping, importation, conveyance and sale” of any explosive deemed dangerous.

“It is well known that the sale and importation of explosives in forms commonly known as ‘scratch bombs’ takes place. There is no Order made under the Explosives Act banning the importation and sale of ‘scratch bombs,’" said Young’s post.

“As per Cabinet’s decision today, as Minister of National Security, I intend to make an Order covering, in the broadest possible terms, all categories of explosives that are generically described as “scratch bombs” making it illegal for anyone to import and sell this category of explosives.”