§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to take into account minimising noise disruption to schools as part of the criteria for resurfacing motorways; and if he will make a statement. [132567]
§ Mr. McNultyGovernment policy is that lower noise surfaces should now be used. except for practical reasons. when any trunk road is resurfaced and it is currently anticipated that over 60 per cent. of the strategic road network will have been surfaced with lower noise materials by 2011. The phasing of resurfacing is usually based on the need to keep the road in optimum condition without causing excessive delays to traffic. Noise mitigation measures on roads built after 1988 take into consideration the need to reduce their impact on noise sensitive facilities such as schools, as well as residential properties.