Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of airport noise action plans in reducing noise pollution for overflown communities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively to promote good health and minimise disruption to people’s quality of life.

Defra is required to produce, consult on and publish Noise Action Plans for transport noise, under the terms of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, every five years to help manage noise. Under the Regulations airport operators are the competent authority for preparing airport Noise Action Plans.

The latest round of airport Noise Action Plans is currently underway and due to be published in 2024.

It is up to individual airports to determine, including through public consultation, the most effective measures to implement within an action plan.

Defra is working with the Department for Transport which has commissioned the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct a critical review of the efficiency and effectiveness of Noise Action Plans in managing aviation noise around airports.