TNAG-1361-FCO40-1807-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 286

Question:

Reply by Hon. J. N. Henderson, OLE, JP, Secretary for Education and manpower,

to a question by

Hon. CHEUNG Yan-lung, MBE, JP,

Question No. 6

in Legislative Council on 23 January 1985

Will the Government inform this Council of the progress made towards reducing the effect of external noise on schools since the completion of the pilot study on noise abatement measures in schools in 1981/827

The data from the pilot study and from two broad surveys which were subsequently undertaken have been analysed by the steering committee, which is now finalising its report for submission to Government.

The report will recommend a maximum tolerable noise

exposure level for classrooms and propose measures to

abate noise in excess of this limit.

In addition, the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines are also being amended to provide for

the noise factor to be taken into consideration in the

location of future school sites. Where schools must

be built in noisy locations to suit the demands of accessibility or proximity to residential development, the school building will be oriented to shield classrooms from noise or appropriate noise insulation measures will be incorporated into the design.

It is anticipated that the report will be

submitted to Government within the next few weeks and

it is intended to consult the Board of Education to seek

their views on its recommendations.