To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are planning to reduce vehicle tyre noise, following recent European Union legislative proposals. [HL393]

The European Union legislative proposals on reducing tyre noise were adopted as Regulation EC No 661/2009, published on 31 July 2009 in the Official Journal of the European Union. The regulation has direct legal force and consequently does not require transposition into UK law. The regulation requires that from 1 November 2014 tyres fitted to all new vehicles and replacement tyres must meet the noise standards in the regulation. Her Majesty's Government will, however, put in place enforcement powers and penalty provisions to ensure the requirements of the regulation relating to tyre noise can be adequately enforced in the UK.