§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish the timetable for the implementation of the ring-fenced budget for noise mitigation measures. [13217]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Government's policy of reducing the effects of traffic noise is being implemented through two programmes.
The Government's "Transport 2010: The 10 Year Plan" gives a commitment to surface at least 60 per cent. of the trunk roads, including all the concrete trunk roads, with quieter materials by 31 March 2011. We have a policy of using quieter surfaces as a matter of course whenever a road needs to be resurfaced and I recently announced the criteria to be used for prioritising the concrete trunk roads to be resurfaced with quieter materials.
The second programme, with an annual £5 million ring-fenced budget, is to provide noise mitigation measures in the most serious and pressing cases where practical and cost-effective measures can be provided.