National Radiological Protection Board

HC Deb 23 March 2001 vol 365 cc389-90W

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment the National Radiological Protection Board has made of the study by Sir Richard Doll on a potential cancer link to overhead power line transmission; if he will make it his policy to(a) apply the precautionary principle and (b) impose (i) a buffer zone around the houses or (ii) a rerouting to avoid houses built under the proposed Lackenby to Shipton power line; and if he will make a statement. [154787]

Mr. Hain

Sir Richard Doll's Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation published its report "Extremely low frequency Electromagnetic Fields and the Risk of

Cancer" on 6 March 2001. (Documents of the NRPB Vol 12, No 1, 2001). Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), an independent body set up under statute and who provide scientific advice to Government issued a response statement which can be found on the NRPB website www.nrpb.org.uk.

The report states that any possible risk of childhood leukaemia relates to those exposed at relatively high levels of domestic exposure but that these are not necessarily associated with proximity to overhead transmission lines. The NRPB consider that the report provides no additional scientific evidence to require a change in the guidelines to limit exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields.

The Government will consider carefully the recommendations of the NRPB and commission appropriate research with regard to that which is already under way. In the light of the available evidence and the advice from the NRPB it is too soon to state whether particular approaches will be taken.

The advice of the NRPB is welcomed and will be considered in a Government response to a European Union Recommendation on limiting public exposure to electromagnetic fields.

With regard to the proposed Lackenby to Shipton power line, this has been routed away from communities and individual dwellings on grounds of general amenity and was the subject of an environmental assessment and statement at the public inquiries. There are no houses under the proposed line. The existing 275kV line from Lackenby to Norton—30 km long (around the south and west of Middlesbrough) will be dismantled after the construction of the new 400kV line. There are 5,000 homes within 200 metres of the line to be dismantled compared with 250 homes within 200 metres of the new line. There is therefore a considerable net benefit in terms of general amenity.