Overhead Power Lines (Hansard, 29 March 2001)

§ Yvette Cooper

[holding answer 22 March 2001]: The Department obtains advice on potential health risks associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF) from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). In a report published on 6 March the NRPB's advisory group on non-ionising radiation has provided an assessment of the potential risks of cancer from extremely low frequency EMFs, (documents of the NRPB Vol. 12, No 1, 2001) and copies have been placed in the Library.

The report states that there is some epidemiological evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of power frequency magnetic fields is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children. In practice, such levels are seldom encountered by the general public in this country.

The NRPB have calculated that this relates to about 0.5 per cent. of the total population.

The board of the NRPB also published a response statement that can be found on the NRPB website www.nrpb.org.uk. The statement includes the following points. From the findings of the main study in this country 754W (United Kingdom childhood cancer study) the higher levels of magnetic fields are not attributable solely to proximity to power lines. The conclusions of the report indicate that the question whether exposure to electromagnetic fields can influence the development of cancer cannot at present be completely resolved. The report made a number of specific research recommendations. The board also considers that the report provides no additional scientific evidence to require a change in exposure guidelines.

The Department will consider carefully the recommendations of the NRPB and commission appropriate research in the light of that which is already under way. Current research includes Government-funded studies in this country and support for the multinational EMFs project set up and co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation.