§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what consideration he has given to the report of the Mitchell committee on noise.
§ Mr. WattsI have been asked to reply.
My predecessor responded to the committee's main recommendations on 28 November 1991, Official Report column 577, accepting that the proposed noise insulation regulations for new railway lines should include separate daytime and night time standards derived from the single standard already provided in the Noise Insulation Regulations 1975, as amended in the case of new roads. Other issues identified by the committee were further examined with the assistance of Dr. Mitchell and other experts and draft noise insulation regulations for new railways were issued for consultation in October 1993. Draft regulations will be laid before Parliament as soon as decisions have been taken on the response.
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