§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next plans to meet the Stewart Committee on mobile phone safety; and what new studies he has asked the Committee to undertake. [149519]
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Police force Chief constable Assistant chief constable Superintendent Chief inspector Inspector Sergeant Constable Total police ranks Total strength for ordinary duty as at 31 March 19971 Avon and Somerset 1 3 29 43 144 454 2,315 2,989 Bedfordshire 1 2 16 12 61 156 846 1,094 Cambridgeshire 1 2 15 14 62 207 1,001 1,302 Cheshire 1 3 20 30 94 308 1,590 2,046 Cleveland 1 1 13 21 78 224 1,121 1,458 Cumbria 1 2 13 16 54 176 882 1,144 Derbyshire 1 3 21 24 92 274 1,376 1,791 Devon and Cornwall 1 3 30 45 139 413 2,234 2,865 Dorset 1 2 18 24 69 201 969 1,284 Durham 1 2 20 22 75 211 1,130 1,461 Essex2 1 3 31 44 143 469 2,269 2,961 Gloucestershire 1 2 14 19 55 170 872 1,133 Greater Manchester 1 6 79 95 378 1,021 5,342 6,922 Hampshire 1 3 38 45 157 509 2,698 3,452 Hertfordshire2 3 19 29 94 249 1,365 1,758 Humberside 1 3 19 30 111 299 1,582 2,045 Kent 1 4 30 43 165 463 2,554 3,260 Lancashire 1 4 27 42 178 503 2,492 3,247 Leicestershire 1 2 18 20 95 275 1,556 1,949 Lincolnshire 1 2 13 21 56 183 921 1,196 London, City of 1 2 12 15 51 122 656 859 Merseyside 1 4 51 59 187 656 3,272 4,230 Metropolitan Police2 7 28 211 344 1,197 4,218 20,671 26,677
§ Yvette CooperThe Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (the Stewart group) was set up to investigate the public health implications of mobile phone technologies. Their report was published on 11 May 2000 and the group stood down shortly thereafter. Copies of the report are available in the Library. The report included a recommendation for a substantial research programme to be set up. This programme, jointly funded by Government and industry, was announced in December 2000 and will be launched at a scientific workshop in central London on Friday 9 February. The research will be undertaken under the direction of an independent programme management committee under the chairmanship of Sir William Stewart. The selection and management of studies will be in the hands of the programme management committee. Details of this new committee are available on the website "www.doh.gov.uk/mobilephones"