To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his Department's actions to combat noise in industry and other places of work since 1987.

During this period the Government introduced the Noise at Work Regulations 1989 requiring measures to control noise and protect workers. The Health and Safety Executive supplemented the regulations by publishing extensive guidance and free leaflets for employers, employees and machinery makers and suppliers, explaining the new legislation.Health and safety inspectors have been active in enforcing the legislation. They have mounted a series of campaigns and other initiatives to monitor compliance and to raise the awareness of the hazard created by excessive noise at work and improve understanding of the means of controlling it.