§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what research his Department has commissioned or published in the last 10 years in respect of the health effects of electromagnetic radiation from electricity pylons.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryResearch into whether electric and magnetic fields at power frequencies—that is, 50 or 60Hz—create a hazard to human health has been going on worldwide for more than 10 years. However, the National Radiological Protection Board has advised that, to date, the findings of such research have been inconclusive.
The National Grid Company funds a substantial portion of the current research in the United Kingdom, much of which has been undertaken by independent laboratories at various universities and a teaching hospital. My Department maintains close liaison with the Department of Health, which takes the lead within government on possible hazards to health from electromagnetic fields. It does not itself commission or publish research into the health effects of electric and magnetic fields.