Telecommunications Masts (Hansard, 15 October 2002)

§ Phil Sawford
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she takes to monitor the installation of mobile telephone masts; and what steps she has taken to implement recommendation 1.37 of the Stewart report. [73369]

§ Mr. McNulty
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not routinely monitor the installation of mobile phone masts.
Recommendation 1.37 of the Stewart report proposed that, at national Government level, a template of protocols be developed, in concert with industry and consumers, which can be use to inform the planning process and that it should be assiduously and openly followed before the granting of permission for the siting of a new base station.
On 22 August last year, taking into account the recommendations in the Stewart Report published in May 2000 and following public consultation, the Government introduced changes that significantly improved the planning procedures and guidance for telecommunications mast development. The changes: strengthened public consultation requirements on mast proposals of 15 metres and below so that they are the same as for planning applications increased the time for an authority to deal with prior approval applications to 56 days underlined that school governors must be consulted on all proposals for new masts on or near a school or college; and increased fees to enable authorities to carry out full public consultation.

§ Phil Sawford
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she has taken to ensure that local authorities maintain a mast register of local installations; and how many local authorities have such a register. [73370]

§ Mr. McNulty
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's existing Code of Best Practice advises that local planning authorities should maintain a mast register of local installations. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently revising the Code of Best Practice.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not monitor how many local planning authorities have such registers.
The Radiocommunications Agency has made information available to the public about existing mobile phone masts via their website (www.radio.gov.uk). The database, called "Sitefinder", gives map-based details about all operational mobile phone base stations and their emissions.