§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what weight will be given to health risks when deciding on planning permission for mobile telephone masts. [151656]
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§ Ms Beverley HughesHealth considerations and public concern can in principle be material considerations in determining applications for planning permission and prior approval. Whether such matters are material in a particular case is ultimately a matter for the courts. It is for the decision-maker (usually the local planning authority) to determine what weight to attach to such considerations in any particular case. However, it is the Government's view that if a proposed development meets the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) on limiting public exposure to electromagnetic fields it should not be necessary for an authority, in processing an application, to consider health effects further.