§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the research on the effect of aircraft noise on sleep disturbance which his Department has commissioned, indicating sites chosen for noise trials. [61974]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonWe have commissioned a research trial on the effect of aircraft noise on sleep disturbance. This trial is to assess analytical techniques and methodology, and their limitations, to help us decide whether to proceed with a full-scale study either of sleep prevention or of total sleep loss, and to determine what should be included in any such study. The trial will involve taking measurements of people sleeping in their own homes and will be based at Manchester Airport, which provides a suitable combination of densely populated communities close to the airport with a spread of aircraft noise throughout the night. It may be extended to Heathrow if actual noise levels in the early morning at Manchester prove insufficient for the purposes of the trial. No specific sites have been selected yet. The steering group for the study includes representatives of the consultative committees from Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, along with the airport management, airlines and environmentalists.