Catalogue description Committee on the Problem of Noise (Wilson Committee): Records

In November 1959 several motions were addressed to the Minister of Health concerning the abatement of noise, after which the Cabinet Home Affairs Committee invited the Minister of Health in consultation with other ministries, 'to put before them as soon as possible proposals for the constitution and terms of reference of an enquiry into the problem of noise'. The Committee of the Problem of Noise was appointed by the Minister for Science, but was serviced and co-ordinated by the Ministry of Health.

The Chairman was Sir A H Wilson FRS. The Committee members were representatives of the motor, aviation, industrial engineering and clinical medicine industries, house managers, town clerks, the Building Research Board and the general public. The Committee was asked to examine the nature, sources and effects of the problem of noise and to advise what further measures could be taken to mitigate it.

Sub-committees consisting of members of the main Committee were formed to look at the specific problems of surface transport, aircraft, industrial and other noise.

The main Committee first met in April 1960. An interim report, Noise from Motor Vehicles, was published in June 1962 (Cmnd 1780) and the final report, Noise, in July 1963 (Cmnd 2056).