§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the mobile phone industry about labelling mobile phones with their radiation levels. [132434]
§ Ms HewittOfficials have held discussions with the mobile phone industry following the publication of the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (the Stewart Report), which recommended that information on SAR values for mobile phones be readily accessible to consumers.
SAR is the Specific Energy Absorption Rate. It is the rate at which energy is absorbed by unit mass of tissue in an electromagnetic field. SAR is the measurement unit used in the exposure guidelines of the National Radiological Protection Board and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Mobile phones do not emit ionising radiation.
In the Government response to the Stewart Report recommendations we agreed that the consumer should have access to SAR values when purchasing a mobile phone and that SAR measurements should be displayed at all points of sale, with each mobile phone, and on the world wide web. It is important that SAR values should be viewed in context, for example, by comparing the SAR value against the recommended exposure limits.
This recommendation will be implemented when the European standard on the test methodology for SAR measurement is adopted.