HC Deb 08 May 1972 vol 836 cc888-9
14. Mr. Tebbit

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates his Department has made of the effect on overall noise levels in the vicinity of airports which will be made by the increasing use of quiet engines and improved operating techniques by the year 1985

Mr. Onslow

The latest estimates are included in the document. "Maplin Airport—Choice of Sites for Runways ", which was published on 12th April by my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. They relate to conventional take-off and landing aircraft, including supersonic aircraft, and show an expected average noise reduction in 1985 of more than 8 PNdB per aircraft movement. They do not take into account improved operating techniques.

Mr. Tebbit

But will not my hon. Friend agree that, as those figures published by the Secretary of State show that the figures given to the Roskill Commission were in considerable technical error, we ought now to consider whether the best way to spend public money on improving the environment is to build noisy motorways through East London to get to a quiet airport?

Mr. Onslow

I recognise my hon. Friend's constituency interest in this matter, but I should point out that it will be of great benefit not only to the users of the airport at Maplin but also to residents around Heathrow and Gatwick that we may expect this considerable reduction in overall noise levels.

Mr. Rankin

Will the Under-Secretary of State repudiate the innuendo concealed in this Question and in a great deal of the stuff which has come out today? If there are engines available quieter than those now being used, where are they, and who is selling them?

Mr. Onslow

I did not detect any such innuendo. Quiet engines have been developed for wide-bodied subsonic aircraft, but we cannot at the moment forecast any massive introduction into service of similar engines for smaller subsonic aircraft or supersonic aircraft.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

What does all that mean? I also have a constituency interest. To the plain man, does it mean that the aircraft travelling over my part of England will be less noisy in the foreseeable future?

Mr. Onslow

It will mean that some of them will certainly be less noisy, but my hon. Friend seems to have an equal interest with my hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mr. Tebbit) in the development of quieter motor cars.

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