§ Sir P. HURDasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the annoyance and loss suffered by civilians, especially in such areas as Wiltshire, owing to the noise of aircraft over villages, he will say what progress is being made with remedial measures in the interests of the civilian population?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThe Aircraft Noise Sub-Committee of the Aeronautical Research Committee is continuing its study of the problems of aircraft noise. Research on exhaust silencers is virtually complete and a report will shortly be made public. Other difficult problems remain to be solved and the question how far performance can be sacrificed for the sake of reduced engine noise also arises. Any reduction in engine noise gained by the fitting of exhaust silencers leaves unaffected, however, noise from the air-screw and body of the aircraft, and these tend to increase with increased power and speed. Research on this aspect of the problem is also proceeding, but I regret that I cannot hold out any prospect of a substantial reduction in the noise emitted from these sources.