HC Deb 26 March 2002 vol 382 cc959-60W
Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what policies the Government have in place to reduce traffic noise pollution; and if he will make a statement. [45944]

Mr. Jamieson

Since 1996 all new vehicles have had to meet stringent noise standards before entering service. No further reductions in noise limits are planned in the short term but the UK is participating in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Working Group on vehicle noise which is examining the scope for further noise reductions. Requirements restricting the noise from tyres are being introduced in stages from this year in accordance with EU Directive 2001/43/EC.

The 10-year Transport Plan extended the Government's commitment to reducing trunk road noise by stating that lower noise road surfacing will be used for all future maintenance and new construction work. All concrete roads on the national network will be resurfaced with this quieter material by March 2011. Current plans are that at the end of the 10-year Plan period some 60 per cent. of the national road network will have a lower noise surface.

A programme of work is also underway to provide noise mitigation measures on certain trunk roads built or altered before 1988 prior to current methods of assessing traffic noise being adopted.