§ 21. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he intends to take to reduce smoke and noise emissions from vehicles other than new ones.
§ Mr. PeytonI am considering ways of strengthening the law on emission of excessive smoke and the introduction of instrumented test procedures. I intend to introduce a new method of testing for noise, suitable for use in the annual test of heavy goods vehicles and at selected roadside sites. I am also examining means of setting minimum standards for silencers.
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonWhile I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him whether he has seen a recent estimate that at least 10,500,000 cars are creating excessive noise to the disturbance of people? May I also ask whether he is aware that far too many diesel lorries continue to puff out their black smoke to the annoyance of people?
§ Mr. PeytonYes. As regards the last part of that supplementary question, all new diesel engine vehicles will have to conform to the British Standard. The smoke that they emit will have to be virtually invisible. As to the noise created by motor cars, I accept entirely what my hon. Friend has said, that this is a very great nuisance. At the same time experience teaches me that the nuisance is always caused by someone else's car.
§ Mr. MulleyWhile welcoming the Minister's intention to strengthen the regulations, may I ask him whether he agrees that while extra regulations may be helpful, what is really needed is an effective means of enforcing those already in existence and that it is not sufficient merely to publish more White Papers? We really must look at the whole business of enforcing existing traffic law.
§ Mr. PeytonI am sorry to be accused of publishing too many White Papers. I thought that the charge against me today was that I was not publishing enough. If the right hon. Gentleman will look again at my answer he will find that I have referred particularly to the question of enforcement. In addition, we have recently obtained another 50 enforcement officers. I have said frequently in the House that we shall have to go a long way before I am really satisfied with the enforcement standards.
§ Sir G. NabarroWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the only really effective statutes available in the world today for the control of fume emission from motor vehicles are to be found in the city ordinances of the United States, which have reached a very advanced stage? Will my right hon. Friend have very careful regard to their experience in the last 10 years, which has been highly illuminating, before he reaches any decisions himself?
§ Mr. PeytonI assure my hon. Friend that careful attention is paid to experience in other countries, and particularly in the United States, which have a more grievous problem than our own.