§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what accounted for the delay in bringing into operation as from 1 August the Motor Cycle Noise Act 1987. [40482]
§ Mr. NorrisRegulations under the Motor Cycle Noise Act had initially to be postponed pending the outcome of negotiations on a new European Commission proposal on replacement silencers. The ensuing directive, 89/235/EEC, prompted the British Standards Institute to update BS 193 which was not completed until 1990. These requirements had to be transposed into domestic law before drafting of the regulations to control supply under the Motor Cycle Noise Act could begin. Regulations were laid before Parliament on 14 September 1995 but do not come into force until 1 August 1996 in order to allow stockists sufficient lead time to clear or mark their current stock.