Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 15 November 2007 (HL80), what action they are taking to ensure that drivers of emergency service vehicles (1) are aware of, and (2) abide by, the restrictions on the use of sirens at night when other vehicles are not on the road set out in regulation 99 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

It is for the emergency services to consider how best to use sirens for maximum effectiveness and minimum disturbance. Subject to the regulations and any guidance from the respective services, drivers of emergency vehicles are expected to use their professional judgment to decide when and where the use of sirens is appropriate.

Drivers ought to be fully aware that sirens must be used with restraint, particularly at night, so as not to cause a nuisance to residents or other road users. There will, however, always be occasions when it is necessary for the emergency services to use sirens in the interests of road safety and the protection of the public.