Ministers Reject Petition for Mandatory Ice Skating Gloves
Government ministers have officially declined a petition initiated by reality TV personality Chloe Lewis, advocating for compulsory glove-wearing for children at ice rinks. Despite the rejection, Members of Parliament (MPs) may still consider debating the matter.
Chloe Lewis, known from The Only Way is Essex (Towie), began her campaign after her six-year-old son, Beau, suffered a severe injury when part of his finger was sliced off by an ice skate. Her petition to the UK Parliament garnered over 24,700 signatures.
Having surpassed the 10,000-signature threshold required for a formal government response, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) stated that there are currently no plans to amend the law regarding glove use at ice rinks.
The petition remains open until August, and if it reaches 100,000 signatures, it could prompt a parliamentary debate on the issue.
Details of the Incident and Petition
In an emotional post on Instagram, Lewis recounted receiving a call informing her that Beau had been injured at an ice rink. He had fallen, and another skater's blade ran over his finger, severing part of it.
"I received a call to say Beau had been hurt at the ice rink. He fell over and someone ran over his finger with their bladed skates, which took his finger off."
Upon her arrival, Beau was wrapped in a silver medical blanket, and both were transported by ambulance to the hospital. There, Beau underwent 3.5 hours of surgery aimed at reattaching the fingertip.
Although the surgery was initially successful, Lewis shared that after eight weeks, the reattached part of the finger did not survive and might require removal if it does not detach naturally.
"The part of the finger they reattached sadly didn't take after eight weeks, so it may need to be removed if it doesn't fall off by itself."
Regarding her motivation for launching the petition, Lewis stated:
"As I'll never be able to bring his finger back, I'd love all your support in helping me change the law to stop this happening to other children."
The petition's text called for a legal change to mandate protective gloves for children ice skating, emphasizing the sharpness of the blades.
"I'd like to for the law to be changed so children are only permitted to ice skate if wearing protective gloves to protect their hands. The blades are so sharp."
Government Response and Future Prospects
A spokesperson for the DCMS responded:
"The safety and welfare of everyone taking part in sport and recreational activities is absolutely paramount... However, individuals have the right to make their own choices, and parents and s are free to exercise that right on behalf of the children and young people they are responsible for where appropriate. The government has no plans to change the law to make it compulsory for children to wear gloves while ice skating."
Despite the government's stance, the petition remains open for six months, and Lewis hopes to reach the 100,000-signature mark to trigger a parliamentary debate.
"I hope to get to 100,000 signatures so there can be a debate in parliament."
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