§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the(a) Latvian and (b) University of Berne Schwarzenberg studies on populations residing in the vicinity of radio telecommunications masts; and what is his planned programme for the further review by the Stuart Committee. [123891]
§ Ms HewittThe Latvian study is of populations residing in close proximity to a military radio location station that operates a high power pulsed radar installation. The University of Berne study examined the local population residing in the vicinity of a high power short wave broadcast transmitter located at Schwarzenburg in Switzerland. Although the Schwarzenburg installation is also used for air radio and wireless telecommunications, the authors of the study note that these operate at far lower levels and suggest that they can be neglected. Thus neither study is directly relevant to radio telecommunications. I have nevertheless asked the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) for advice about these studies.
The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP), chaired by Sir William Stewart, recommended a further review of possible health effects of mobile phone technology in three years time, or earlier if circumstances demand it. The Government response confirmed we are keen to maintain the momentum of reviewing the health effects of mobile phone technologies and recognises that the IEGMP recommends a further review in three years' time. We will be asking for further research in this area to be kept under continual review by the National 126W Radiological Protection Board, and we expect a report on progress with both national and international research activities to be produced in three years' time, or when significant information becomes available.