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Select committee: Science and Technology Committee

The effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Closed Opened 30 Jan 2023 Closed 9 May 2024 13 recommendations 20 conclusions

Science and Technology Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is conducting an inquiry into the effects of artificial light and noise on human health. The committee will explore the strength of the evidence for claims made about their effects on human health, the adequacy of the existing policy and regulatory framework for addressing light and noise pollution in the UK and options for reform to address any harmful effects identified. The committee has issued a call for written evidence and will be taking oral evidence from February 2023.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 30 January 2023.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health on 19 July 2023.

The government's response

Published 1 December 2023. The deadline was 1 December 2023.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government accepts that cross-government and interdisciplinary approaches matter and describes much of the recommended noise work as under way, but does not agree that formal expert bodies are "necessarily the most effective approach" and says a national noise reduction target is "not feasible" without significant further work.

  • On noise evidence, it says "Much of the work recommended for noise is already under way", citing Defra's new noise mapping system, which it intends to make available to all public bodies.
  • On light monitoring, it says "major technical and data issues need to be resolved before this can be considered feasible", and that further evidence development "will need to be considered within the context of government priorities".
  • On targets and policy statements, it says a noise reduction target is "not feasible" without significant work, and that significant gaps in understanding of artificial light would need to be addressed to inform a Light Policy Statement for England.
  • It commits to convene round table events for noise and light, and says it "will consider" whether the remit of existing bodies should be extended to cover noise and/or light. No dates are given.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Recommendations and conclusions

All 33 recommendations and conclusions

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 8 oral evidence sessionsLatest 16 May 2023
  • 37 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Meetings and visits

Recommendations and conclusions 33 shown

Conclusion 1

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
There is increasing epidemiological evidence of the harmful effects of noise on human health. Aggregated over the whole population, even small effects on the individual can be a significant public health concern. New evidence is likely to change the understanding of these effects, for example the role played by intermittency.

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Conclusion 2

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
DEFRA should work with the UK Health Security Agency and other organisations to assess the significant, growing evidence on the health effects of noise. This should include refining existing estimates for the disease burden from well-established health impacts of noise pollution , for example on the cardiovascular system. UKHSA should also assess whether health effects for which evidence is emerging, such as on the metabolic system, meet the evidentiary threshold for policy action.

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Conclusion 3

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
More laboratory and field studies are needed to supplement epidemiological evidence and to establish the mechanisms by which noise might affect health. The current metrics used to characterise noise pollution are mostly long-term average intensity (decibel) metrics, which do not capture peak volume, pitch and intermittency. The latter influence annoyance and may correlate more closely with health outcomes but are not widely measured. Quantifying the health effects of interventions to reduce exposure is important for cost-benefit analyses.

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Recommendation 4

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The UK should seek opportunities to collaborate with similar countries, sharing research data and methodologies. Alongside these efforts, DEFRA should commission and fund a research programme into noise and health. This should include: large-scale epidemiological studies, including long-term longitudinal studies, which can make use of international big data; laboratory-based studies establishing mechanisms for health impacts; field studies establishing the indoor exposure to noise, which can contribute to mapping the indoor exposure to noise; interdisciplinary studies to understand the variation in response caused by non-acoustic factors; modelling and experimental studies into the health effects of interventions to reduce noise; and whether alternative metrics for noise, including pitch and intermittency, should be measured and used to better understand health outcomes.

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Conclusion 5

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Although UKHSA has a noise and health team which summarises research in this field for policymakers, there is no advisory group as there is for air pollution.

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Conclusion 6

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
An interdisciplinary, independent advisory panel should be established to provide independent advice to the Government and a forum for new evidence, particularly on emerging health effects and technologies, to be assessed.

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Conclusion 7

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
There are concerns that light pollution has been increasing rapidly in recent years. Evidence for the health effects of light pollution is at a less mature stage than noise pollution, but it may influence health by disrupting circadian rhythms and sleep.

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Recommendation 8

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should commission research to establish how light intensity, wavelength, duration, time of exposure, light history and age affect the circadian system. This should move beyond laboratory-based studies and investigate more realistic light exposure patterns for humans. Such knowledge would provide an evidence base for guidelines that could mitigate the harmful effects of light pollution on human biology, including the circadian system, mood and alertness.

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Conclusion 9

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Flicker, glare and dazzle can cause visual disturbance. There is not clear evidence that LEDs cause ill-effects in healthy people when used properly. However, there is widespread concern that the LED rollout has been associated with poor lighting practice and over-lighting.

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Conclusion 10

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Research should be carried out in order to establish the level of risk from glare, flicker, and dazzle, for example in night-time driving.

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Conclusion 11

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Regulating light pollution is difficult if it is not measured; our current approach is inadequate. It is also difficult to assess the health implications if it is not known how people are exposed to light pollution, particularly indoors at night.

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Recommendation 12

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
DEFRA should establish a standard methodology for tracking, monitoring and reporting on light pollution. This should be in place by the next five-year Environmental Improvement Plan cycle. The Government should commission a regular survey to track light pollution once the methodology is agreed. The research should aim to understand both indoor and outdoor exposure to artificial light at night, so its health impact can be quantified.

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Recommendation 13

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should have a team of experts in UKHSA, on circadian rhythms and impacts of light on health to act as a single point for evidence gathering and co-opting external expertise. As the field develops, it may be appropriate to set up an independent advisory panel, as for noise and air pollution.

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Recommendation 14

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence should review evidence for the effectiveness of therapies such as light boxes that might promote improved circadian rhythms and therefore physical and mental health.

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Recommendation 15

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The National Institute for Health and Care Research should commission research to establish the mechanisms by which green social prescribing may affect health.

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Conclusion 16

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
The Noise Policy Statement for England sets a good overall framework for noise policy but should be re-emphasised. DEFRA does not collect the data that demonstrate national policy interfaces with local policy appropriately.

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Recommendation 17

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should collect data to determine whether planning authorities and other relevant parties are making use of the Noise Policy Statement for England.

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Conclusion 18

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
There should be a specific noise reduction target for the regulation of noise pollution. Strict decibel exposure limits are impractical, but a target based on reducing the calculated exposure to, and hence disease burden from, noise pollution would allow cost-effective interventions to be pursued. This target should be in place for the next five-year Environmental Improvement Plan cycle.

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Conclusion 19

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
The Committee welcomes DEFRA’s noise pollution mapping and modelling exercise, which provides an opportunity for a renewed focus on noise pollution. However, mapping is only the first step: interventions to reduce the noise burden must follow.

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Recommendation 20

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should use its mapping to identify key cost-effective interventions. The noise mapping and modelling should be made public. The Government should use this to update the burden of disease calculations used for noise pollution, including any new scientific evidence. Policy on noise pollution should be updated accordingly. This should include funding to carry out public health interventions that reduce noise burden in line with its noise reduction target.

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Conclusion 21

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
It is essential that the Government commit to extending the mapping beyond 24-hour averaged noise exposure to include metrics of pitch, peak volume and intermittency of exposure .

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Conclusion 22

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
The hierarchy of interventions for noise pollution should be: reduce, restrict, remodel. It is generally more effective to reduce noise at source, through planning and engineering, than it is to restrict transmission using sound barriers or to remodel the receiver’s environment with sound insulation.

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Conclusion 23

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Mapping and modelling tools should be used to identify the most cost-effective interventions to reduce the disease burden of noise pollution, including determining where retrofits make sense. Information on how to reduce noise pollution must be made available at the planning stage for infrastructure projects, as intervention at source is generally more effective.

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Recommendation 24

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should issue a Light Policy Statement for England which details the Government ’s policy on minimising light pollution and the roles it expects different departments to play.

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Conclusion 25

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Good practice guidance for lighting already exists.

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Conclusion 26

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
The Light Policy Statement and planning guidance should incorporate up-to-date guidance from the Society of Light and Lighting, the Institution of Lighting Professionals and the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers , on best practice for lighting.

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Recommendation 27

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should make clear that exempt facilities are still expected to conform to best-practice lighting guidelines.

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Conclusion 28

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Local authorities should report on complaints about light pollution to Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities so that central government can compare local authorities and highlight any issues.

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Recommendation 29

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should take steps to ensure that the implications of the technological shifts required for net zero and adapting to climate change for noise and light pollution are understood and addressed early on.

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Conclusion 30

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
Light and noise pollution cut across a number of departments. The levers for acting on problems identified by DEFRA often sit in other departments, such as the Department for Transport. This is unlike other pollutants, where DEFRA takes ownership of mapping and, through public bodies, regulation. There seemed to be little co-ordination between departmental policies in these areas.

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Recommendation 31

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The status of light and noise pollution as policy areas under the aegis of DEFRA should be reviewed and interdepartmental co-ordination on these issues strengthened. The Government should make clear where in each affected department responsibility for noise and light pollution lies. Other departments should apply the environmental principles in the Environment Act 2021 to their approach to light and noise pollution.

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Conclusion 32

Conclusion · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Concluded (the committee's words)
It is unclear how, and how consistently, national policies are implemented at local authority level. The Committee remains unconvinced that co-ordination on these issues is sufficiently effective. DEFRA does not appear to be receiving the information it needs to conclude whether its policies are being effectively implemented by local authorities and trends in that effectiveness over time. It is also unclear whether local government actions on noise and light pollution feed back data into DEFRA about whether the policies are successful.

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Recommendation 33

Recommendation · 2nd Report - The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human health

Recommended (the committee's words)
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should set out what resources local authorities should have to respond adequately to light and noise pollution policies. Local authorities should be sufficiently resourced and incentivised , both in funding and access to information and expertise, to ensure they can properly regulate light and noise pollution.

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Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
16 May 2023
Oral evidence session
Dr Bill Parish · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Notley · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rhian Thomas · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 		View ↗
2 May 2023
Oral evidence session
Dr Benjamin Fenech · UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Dr Bill Parish · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Dr Edward Wynne-Evans · UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Erin Cowburn · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Luke Price · The Centre for Ageing Better, Phil Earl · Department for Transport 		View ↗
25 Apr 2023
Oral evidence session
Emma Marrington · CPRE - The Countryside Charity, Lisa Lavia · Noise Abatement Society, Mr John Stewart · UK Noise Association, Ruskin Hartley · International Dark-Sky Association 		View ↗
18 Apr 2023
Oral evidence session
Arfon Davies · Arup, Colin Ball · Building Design Partnership, Ian Ritchie CBE · Ritchie Studio, Poppy Szkiler · Quiet Mark, Richard Greer · Arup 		View ↗
28 Mar 2023
Oral evidence session
Allan Howard · Institution of Lighting Professionals, Andrew Bissell · Society of Light and Lighting, Guy Harding · Institution of Lighting Professionals, Mr Stephen Turner · Institute of Acoustics, Paul McCullough · Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Peter Rogers · Institute of Acoustics, Somayya Yaqub · Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Stuart Morton · Jacobs 		View ↗
21 Mar 2023
Oral evidence session
Alex Smalley · University of Exeter, Dr Alison Greenwood · Dose of Nature, Professor Pierre Geoffroy · Université Paris Cité 		View ↗
7 Mar 2023
Oral evidence session
Dr Christopher Kyba · German Research Center for Geoscience, Potsdam, Dr Stuart Peirson · University of Oxford, Kenneth Wright · University of Colorado, Professor Dr Manuel Spitschan · Technical University of Munich, Professor Shantha Rajaratnam · Monash University 		View ↗
28 Feb 2023
Oral evidence session
Dr Antonio Torija Martinez · University of Salford, Professor Anna Hansell · University of Leicester, Professor Charlotte Clark · St George’s University of London 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

37 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Dr Bill Parish · Head of Air Quality & Industrial Emissions Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs 2
Alex Smalley · PhD Fellow University of Exeter 1
Allan Howard · past-President Institution of Lighting Professionals 1
Andrew Bissell · President Society of Light and Lighting 1
Arfon Davies · Leader of Lighting UKIMEA Arup 1
Colin Ball · Architect Building Design Partnership 1
Dr Alison Greenwood · Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Lead Psychologist Dose of Nature 1
Dr Antonio Torija Martinez · Reader in Acoustic Engineering University of Salford 1
Dr Benjamin Fenech · Noise and Public Health Group Leader UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) 1
Dr Christopher Kyba · Researcher German Research Center for Geoscience, Potsdam 1
Dr Edward Wynne-Evans · Director of Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards directorate UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) 1
Dr Stuart Peirson · Professor of Circadian Neuroscience University of Oxford 1
Emma Marrington · Landscape Enhancement Lead CPRE - The Countryside Charity 1
Erin Cowburn · Deputy Director, Planning Policy Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 1
Guy Harding · Technical Manager Institution of Lighting Professionals 1
Hilary Notley · Evidence Lead, Noise Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Ian Ritchie CBE · Architect Ritchie Studio 1
Kenneth Wright · Director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory University of Colorado 1
Lisa Lavia · Managing Director Noise Abatement Society 1
Luke Price · Senior Research and Policy Manager, Work The Centre for Ageing Better 1
Mr John Stewart · Chair UK Noise Association 1
Mr Stephen Turner · Immediate Past-President Institute of Acoustics 1
Paul McCullough · Member Chartered Institute of Environmental Health 1
Peter Rogers · Chair of the Parliamentary and Public Liaison Group Institute of Acoustics 1
Phil Earl · Deputy Director for International Vehicle Standards Department for Transport 1
Poppy Szkiler · CEO Quiet Mark 1
Professor Anna Hansell · Professor of Environmental Epidemiology University of Leicester 1
Professor Charlotte Clark · Professor of Epidemiology St George’s University of London 1
Professor Dr Manuel Spitschan · Professor of Chronobiology and Health Technical University of Munich 1
Professor Pierre Geoffroy · Professor of Psychiatry Université Paris Cité 1
Professor Shantha Rajaratnam · Professor of Sleep and Circadian Medicine Monash University 1
Rebecca Pow · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Rhian Thomas · Policy Lead, Noise and Statutory Nuisance Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Richard Greer · Fellow and Director Arup 1
Ruskin Hartley · CEO and Executive Director International Dark-Sky Association 1
Somayya Yaqub · Member Chartered Institute of Environmental Health 1
Stuart Morton · Professional Head, Highways and Aviation Electrical Design Jacobs 1

Correspondence

2 letters

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PublishedDirectionLetter
3 May 2024 To committee Letter from Rt Hon Robbie Moore MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, ref artificial light and noise response
31 Jan 2024 To committee Letter from Baroness Brown of Cambridge to Rt Hon Rebecca Pow MP, Minister for Nature, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ref artifical light and noise response

Meetings & visits

4 items

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DateTypeDetailSource
11 Jul 2023 Formal meeting (private meeting) Not recorded · Room 1, Palace of Westminster
27 Jun 2023 Formal meeting (private meeting) Not recorded · Room 1, Palace of Westminster
23 May 2023 Formal meeting (private meeting) Not recorded · Room 1, Palace of Westminster
21 Feb 2023 Formal meeting (private meeting) Not recorded · Room 4, Palace of Westminster