§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is currently being undertaken or commissioned by the National Radiological Protection Board on the health effects of mobile communications base stations on the neighbouring population. [88108]
§ Ms JowellThe National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has a programme of research into exposures and possible effects of radiofrequency radiation from mobile phones and base stations. It has carried out field measurements in the vicinity of a number of base stations and it is proposed to extend the measurement database to be representative of a variety of base station locations in the United Kingdom.
Experimental work is in progress to investigate potential effects on learning and memory using low level signals of the type used for mobile telephony. A research programme to investigate the possible induction of chromosome damage in cultured human cells is being developed.
Other work involves computer models derived from medical images of people; these have been used to calculate how electromagnetic fields interact with the body. This work is ongoing.
The NRPB's Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation continues to review research on the health effects of electromagnetic fields and NRPB have been instructed to set up an independent working group to assess the current state of research into the use of mobile phones. The group will be chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS, FRSE. The membership and terms of reference will be announced shortly.