§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases have been reported this year and in the past three years of childhood cancer being caused by electric fields; and if he will make a statement. [108590]
§ Yvette CooperIt is not possible to attribute any individual cases of childhood cancer to electric fields. The United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study, published in December 1999 found no evidence to link childhood cancer with exposure to magnetic fields from the electricity supply. Their report on electric fields is expected later this year. In 1992, the National Radiological Protection Board's Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation examined in detail the evidence for an association between the incidence of childhood cancer and exposure to electromagnetic fields. They concluded that there was no clear evidence of an adverse health effect at the levels of electromagnetic field to which the public is normally exposed. A further review which will consider electric and magnetic fields independently, will be published later this year.