Lord BROUGHSHANEasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied with the steps taken by the police to enforce the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1973 in view of the widespread disregard of its provisions concerning maximum permitted noise and the use of vehicles with ineffective silencers.
§ Baroness BIRKI am satisfied that the police are doing all they reasonably can to enforce the regulations. But there are limits to what can be achieved in this way. A basic essential is to see that vehicles are designed in the first place not to make too much noise; and my right honourable friend the Secretary of 1275WA State for Transport is seeking the agreement of our partners in the European Community to reductions in maximum permitted noise levels at the design and manufacture stages. In addition, he plans to introduce a physical check of the exhaust system as part of revised arrangements for the MOT test.