§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the health implications of overhead powerlines; and if he will make a statement. [3846]
223W
§ Yvette CooperThe Department obtains advice on the possible health implications of exposure to electromagnetic fields, including those associated with power lines, from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). In a report published on 6 March, the NRPB's Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation reviewed the potential risks of cancer from extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (documents of the NRPB Volume 12, Number 1, 2001), copies of which are available in the Library. Information can be found on www.nrpb.org.uk.
The report states that
there is some epidemiological evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of power frequency magnetic fields is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children. In practice, such levels are seldom encountered by the general public in this country.The NRPB have calculated that this relates to about 0.5 per cent. of the total population. The report also states thatIn the absence of clear evidence of a carcinogenic effect in adults, or of a plausible explanation from experiments on animals or isolated cells, the epidemiological evidence is currently not strong enough to justify a firm conclusion that such fields cause leukaemia in children.An NRPB response statement noted that the higher levels of magnetic fields are not attributable solely to proximity to power lines. The Government and NRPB are currently planning a study into the factors that lead to certain households having higher levels of electromagnetic fields.