§ Mr. PurchaseTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what publicly funded research has been carried out regarding the biological effects of microwave 495W frequency transmissions; if he will fund a study into the type of equipment being installed on or near high-rise residential blocks in Wolverhampton; and if he will publish the results of any such research;
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of biological penetration from personal communication network range frequencies on all life-forms which have come into close proximity with such equipment; and if he will publish his conclusions.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 18 January 1993]: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has responsibility for advising United Kingdom Government Departments on standards of protection for exposure to non-ionising radiation. Recent reports from that body indicate that, at the lower frequencies associated with these installations, there is no firm epidemiological evidence of the existence of a carcinogenic hazard. My Department is currently helping to fund a joint research study, managed by the NRPB, into the possible effects of exposure to mobile telephone transmissions.