§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will respond to the report of the noise review working party, the Batho report.
§ Mr. MacleanOver half of the recommendations of the noise review working party have now been acted upon. The speech by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Noise Council seminar on 15 May 1991 and that of my predecessor to the Institution of Environmental Health Officers on 10 September 1991 summarised progress to date on the Government's response to the report of the noise review working party, the Batho report. Since then, the Government have issued consultation documents on the control of aircraft noise and on proposals to extend noise nuisance to the streets. A complete draft of the planning policy guidance note "Planning and noise" was issued for consultation at the beginning of 1992. Guidance on the control of noisy parties was issued to local authorities and the police on 4 September 1992. My speech to Euronoise '92 on 14 September included a further update of the Government's progress in responding to the Batho report.