HC Deb 16 January 2001 vol 361 cc149-50W
Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish a response to the Stewart report on mobile telecommunications. [145366]

Yvette Cooper

The Stewart report was published on 11 May 2000. On the same day we published our initial response on the Department of Health website welcoming the report and setting out its plans for implementing the recommendations. In December 2000 we published a public information leaflet on mobile phones and base stations and announced the start of a new mobile phones and health research programme. Other initiatives that are already in place include information to local education authorities and schools and a programme of measurement and audit of mobile phone base stations.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the membership is of the mobile phone review group; what interests they have declared; and how many meetings of the group have been held since it was set up. [145864]

Yvette Cooper

The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) (the Stewart group) was set up to investigate the public health implications of mobile phone technologies. The members were as followsChairman: Professor Sir William Stewart, FRS, FRSE Members:

  • Professor L. J. Challis, OBE
  • Professor L. W. Barclay, OBE, FREng
  • Mrs. M.-N. Barton, MBE
  • Professor C. Blakemore, FRS
  • Professor D. N. M. Coggon
  • Professor Sir David Cox, FRS
  • Mr. J. Fellows
  • Dr. M. Repacholi
  • Professor M. Rugg, FRSE
  • Professor A. J. Swerdlow
  • Mr. T. R. K. Varma, FRCS (Ed.).

Brief resumés for the members of the IEGMP were published in the report and are on www.iegmp.org.uk. They held a total of 15 meetings. Five of these meetings were open and their minutes are on the website. All members declared their interests at the outset. These records along with submitted written evidence to the group will shortly be lodged at the Public Record Office where they will be available for inspection. Their report was published on 11 May 2000. Copies 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 meeting in central London on 9 February. The research will be undertaken under the direction of an independent programme management committee chaired by Sir William Stewart. Further details will be made available shortly.