Public sector officials to discuss light and noise pollution policy
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will hold the seventh evidence session of its inquiry into the effects of artificial light and noise on human health.
The Committee will hear from two panels of officials: first from Dr Benjamin Fenech, Noise and Public Health Group Leader, Luke Price, Principal Radiation Protection Scientist, and Dr Edward Wynne-Evans, Director of the Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards directorate, all from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); second from Erin Cowburn, Deputy Director of Planning Policy at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Phil Earl, Deputy Director of International Vehicle Standards at the Department for Transport, and Dr Bill Parish, Deputy Director of Air Quality and Industrial Emissions at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The session will focus on the science on which current policy regarding light and noise pollution is based and the details of that policy. Members will explore the support that UKHSA provides to Government and their analysis of the current scientific evidence, how government departments coordinate in the development and application of light and noise pollution policy and what work is being done on possible future sources of light and noise pollution.
Meeting details
Possible question areas
- How robust is the epidemiological evidence on which to base light and noise pollution policy?
- What further studies would improve the evidence base?
- How well-connected are local authorities to central government with respect to light and noise policy and how consistently is the regime applied across authorities?
- Does the current approach to light and noise pollution involve regulating them differently than other pollutants?