HC Deb 18 July 1955 vol 544 cc9-10
22. Mr. R. Bell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department will investigate the possibility of reducing the noise at present attendant upon the making of silage by machine.

Mr. Nugent

There are a number of mechanised methods of making silage which are not noisy, and the control of noise is primarily a matter for the manufacturers.

Mr. Bell

Will my hon. Friend recognise that there are also ways of making silage which are extremely noisy and that some of the latest and most favoured are some of the noisiest? Will he bear in mind the utterly appalling noise made by some of these machines and refer the matter to the Agricultural Research Council?

Mr. Nugent

It would not be a suitable reference for the Agricultural Research Council, but I can tell my hon. Friend that the company concerned has been informally in touch with our Department and we understand that it is now considering some means of silencing this noisy instrument.

Mr. G. Brown

Will the Parliamentary Secretary remember that it is the smell rather than the noise which is the nuisance?

Mr. Nugent

That is very difficult to silence.

Mr. Vane

While considering this question of less noise, will my hon. Friend distribute some silent cartridges so that there can be more success in the shooting of pigeons?