§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has currently commissioned as to whether non-ionising radiation in mobile telephones can cause brain cancer; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe National Radiological Protection Board advises the Government on risks to human health from non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, including emissions from mobile radiotelephones. The board's advice is that the radio frequency energy emitted by hand-held radiotelephones does not constitute a cancer hazard on the basis of available research evidence. The Department of Trade and Industry, together with the Science and Engineering Research Council and a number of industrial participants are funding a research study of the physical interaction of fields from hand-held radiotelephones and the human head. The results from this and other studies will enable a better assessment of the extent to which emissions from these devices comply with recommended restrictions on human exposure.