Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Monday, 6 February 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 February 2006. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 February 2006 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Calls to Prayer

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she gives local authorities on the acceptable volume of amplified calls to prayer; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Complaints about noise from amplified calls to prayer can be addressed by local authorities under the statutory nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It is for the appropriate local authority to determine whether a noise amounts to a statutory nuisance. The Department does not produce guidance on acceptable levels of noise, since these will vary. Factors to be taken into account include the character of the locality, the duration of the noise and the frequency of its occurrence.

Secondary information