Oral Answers to Questions

Tania Mathias Excerpts

Thursday 30th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones]

I simply do not accept that policymaking is as simple as setting targets. If we look at all the action the Government are undertaking—the changes to the statutory option on drink driving, drug driving legislation, the THINK! campaign, the increase in penalties in relation to mobile phone use and so on—we see that our efforts to take road safety further are significant. If policymaking was as simple as setting targets, Gordon Brown would have left us a very well-run Government and nobody pretends he did that.

[Dr Tania Mathias (Twickenham) (Con)]

9. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of noise monitoring around Heathrow Airport.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Grayling)]

Noise is measured around Heathrow airport by a set of fixed and mobile monitors. To ensure effective monitoring, the Government have instructed the Civil Aviation Authority to validate the data from the monitors, and reports based on that information are published annually.

[Dr Mathias]

Planes are currently flying at too low an altitude, which is causing excessive noise pollution over homes and schools in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how the new noise commission will be able to prevent medically unsafe noise levels from aircraft flying over residential areas?