§ Mr. FraserTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps his Department proposes to take to deal with the problem of noise nuisance by neighbours; and what plans he has to present legislation on the issue. [26771]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordWe continue to encourage informal resolution of neighbour noise problems, wherever possible, while recognising that in some cases formal enforcement action is necessary. The conclusions and recommendations of an interdepartmental working party on neighbour noise set up to review the effectiveness of controls under the current law were issued as a consultation paper at the end of March. The recommendations include proposals for a specific power of temporary confiscation of noise-making equipment and a new nighttime noise offence based on World Health Organisation guidelines. We will consider the comments on these proposals before deciding whether to proceed with legislation.