§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made on the introduction of city noise maps; what estimate he has made of the costs of such maps; who will be responsible for meeting such costs; and if he will make a statement. [80668]
§ Mr. MealeMy Department has been working with Birmingham City Council, which is mapping the City of Birmingham, to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of noise mapping as a tool in action. We expect the report of this work, which will assist in estimating the costs of such maps, to be published this summer. The work carried out in Birmingham will help to inform the European Commission's future proposals on ways in which to tackle noise.