§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities test the standards of noise insulation in new residential buildings.
§ Mr. YeoOn 10 December last year revised building regulations were laid before Parliament which from 1 June 1992 will improve the existing requirements for sound insulation in new dwellings and extend these to flat conversions. Practical problems for the local authority and the builder would not in my view justify sound testing of all new and converted residential properties. The requirements of the building regulations are met by the builder undertaking forms of construction which have been shown to perform satisfactorily under test conditions.