|
To: RT Hon ________ MP,
8th April 2005.
Dear ________,
Telecommunications masts:
Thank you for your letter of 3 March to Keith Hill on behalf of your constituent ________, about the planning controls over telecommunications masts.
The Government does not support Andrew Stunnell’s private members bill. The clauses of this bill are very similar to those in the Bill presented by Richard Spring MP during last session of Parliament. This bill was debated on 21 May 2004. You may be interested to read the Government’s response in the Official report (Hansard Vol. 421 Part 1254).
Your constituent asks about the Government’s response to EDM 710 which raised concerns about mobile phone masts. In regard to health concerns the Stewart Group recommended that the issue of health and electromagnetic fields was reviewed again after three years and in January 2004 the NRPB’s advisory group on Non-ionising Radiation published their report ‘Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields’. AGNIR has examined recent experimental and epidemiological evidence for health effects due to exposure to RF transmissions, including those associated with mobile telephone handsets and base stations. Like the Stewart Group they concluded ‘exposure levels from living near to mobile base stations are extremely low and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health’.
Sir William Stewart is now the chairman of the NRPB. On 11 January the NRPB published a review of the progress since the publication of the first Stewart Report. The Government has welcomed the timely review. The report made many recommendations about mobile phones and health, including two related planning procedures. We are studying the recommendations and will respond once we have considered them fully. [ed.: That was January 2005. This matter is urgent!]
With regard to concerns about the consultation process for telecommunications development, the Code of Best Practice builds on the Operator’s commitment to carry out consultation. The ODPM has commissioned a study to assess the impact that the Code has had since its introduction, how local authorities have implemented the Code and how the public perceives its operation. This will provide the Government with evidence on whether the Code has been effective and whether there are any areas of weakness that need to be addressed. In the light of this evidence the Government will consider whether changes to the Code are appropriate.
EDM 168 was about the All Party Mobile Group’s report on planning for telecommunications development. The Government welcomed the report and acknowledged the work that went into preparing it and the expert knowledge and advice given by those who presented written and oral evidence to the Group. Accordingly, the Government gave a commitment to reviewing the Group’s recommendations in taking forward Government policy on planning for telecommunications.
On 18 October the Paul Truswell (Pudsey) introduced a debate on mobile phone masts. Phil Hope, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, responded onbehalf of the ODPM. His speech sets out the Government’s position in more detail (Hansard Vol. 425 Part 139 Column 739).
Yvette Cooper.
| 
