§ Mr. Kershawasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with the experiments which involve the use of tape recorders of traffic noise to ascertain the effect of this noise on people trying to get to sleep; how many tests have been carried out; what has been the cost to date; and how much more money will be spent.
§ Mr. CarmichaelTo improve planning and compensation procedures the Department is seeking to develop a comprehensive and objective methodology for environment evaluation. This entails, among other things, assessment in monetary terms of social disbenefits from environmental nuisances, including noise.
With the support of the Noise Advisory Council a relevant pilot study 550W costing about £2,500 was carried out in 1973. A further study in 35 homes, costing about £10,000, was conducted in 1974, with redeveloped equipment. In each case people were asked to live with continuous tapes of recorded traffic noise installed in their homes for a week. Their reactions, and their views on the compensation they considered necessary to make this disturbance acceptable, were studied. This work, which will be published early in 1976, achieved some useful insights of levels of tolerance to noise, but it also revealed some unanticipated problems of methodology which remain unresolved. No further work on these particular lines is at present planned, but research will continue towards the broad objectives indicated.