§ 2.58 p.m.
§ Lord Brougham and VauxMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the allowable level of motor cycle noise.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)My Lords, agreement was reached within the European Community last November on lower noise limits for new motor cycles. We intend to amend our regulations so as to make the new limits applicable to new machines registered in Britain from the earliest dates permitted by the agreement.
§ Lord Brougham and VauxMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that encouraging reply. Can he tell me what other measures the Government have in mind for encouraging owners of existing machines to reduce the noise of defective silencers?
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraYes, my Lords. There are regulations governing the fitting and replacement of silencers which will apply progressively to an increasing number of motor cycles in use. In addition, my right honourable friend the Member for Christchurch has introduced a Private Member's Bill in the other place enabling the Secretary of State to make regulations controlling replacement of silencers at the point of sale. The Government very much welcome this initiative.
Lord WinstanleyMy Lords, will the enforcement of the new limits be any more effective than the enforcement of the old limits, which seems to me to be non-existent?
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraMy Lords, the enforcement of the existing limits is by no means non-existent. In the last year for which I have statistics, there were 2,800 prosecutions for noise offences, of which 95 per cent. resulted in a conviction. The new regulations will make it easier to bring prosecutions because replacement silencers will have a mark on them and it will be very much easier for the police to see whether or not they are in order.
§ Lord Jenkins of PutneyMy Lords, did the noble Lord say that there were 28,000 prosecutions?
§ Lord Jenkins of PutneyMy Lords, can the noble Lord be a little more precise about this matter? What proportion of that total relates to motor cycle noise; or is the noble Lord giving us a total? I am not quite sure that I understand him very clearly on that point.
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraMy Lords, the noble Lord obviously did not understand me very clearly. In the last year for which I have figures, there were 2,800 prosecutions for noise offences by motor cyclists.
§ Lord StrathcarronMy Lords, does my noble friend not agree that new motor cycle exhausts are already commendably quiet and that the difficulty lies with the replacement? The difficulty is that motor cyclists often cannot afford the very high prices charged by manufacturers for the official exhausts and have therefore to go to other sources. Those are the noisy exhausts. I am very pleased to hear that legislation is being prepared to make it illegal to sell an exhaust system that does not come up to the required standard.
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraMy Lords, there is no reason why a motor cyclist has to buy an exhaust from the manufacturer of the motor cycle. The replacement exhaust could possibly be cheaper, but it must be as good in quality as the original.
§ Lord Brougham and VauxMy Lords, can my noble friend say whether these new measures will cover second-hand machines as well as new machines?
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraMy Lords, the new European Community directive covers only new motor cycles but-the new regulations and the new Bill that has been introduced will of course cover all replacement silencers.