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11 June 2004
Dear Mr Davidson
Thank you for your letter of 22 April in response to mine of 20 April. I have also been asked to respond to your letter of 21 April to John Reid about TETRA isssues, 3G issues and health concerns associated with mobile phones in general.
I take your point that there are still areas of uncertainty still to be addressed by the research community and funding agencies. The issue of electro-sensitivity is of course a difficult area to investigate being so diffuse in its presentation. By writing in to us we can at least bring your concerns to those key people who decide which research is to be undertaken. I shall alert the chairman of the MTHR committee to the points you have made. I do also meet my counterparts in other government departments including the Home Office and will discuss these issues with them.
On the world scene however, I must say that it is my impression that we are going further than others at the moment in undertaking research into possible health effects associated with living near base stations. At a symposium in May of the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and others it was shown that there is such poor correlation between proximity to base stations and radiofrequency emf exposure that such studies would be unlikely to produce robust results. We at least in this country are supporting a childhood cancer study and the hypersensitivity studies (www.mthr.org.uk) albeit in relation to GSM base stations.
You may wish to know that the WHO has posted information about a forthcoming meeting on electrical sensitivity on its website (www.who.int/peh-emf). The issue has therefore not escaped the notice of people in high places. I attach an extract here for your information.
The International Seminar and Working Group Meeting on EMF Hypersensitivity will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from Monday 25th to Wednesday 27th October 2004. The meeting will comprise a 2-day international meeting, open to all persons who would like to contribute or attend, followed by a 1-day working group meeting to prepare a report summarizing current scientific understanding of this syndrome and the discussions at the international meeting.
Purpose of the meeting
Sensitivity to EMF has been given the general name ‘Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity’ or EHS. It comprises nervous system symptoms like headache, fatigue, stress, sleep disturbances, skin symptoms like prickling, burning sensations and rashes, pain and ache in muscles and many other health problems. Whatever its cause, EHS is a real and sometimes a disabling problem for the affected persons, while the level of EMF in their neighbourhood is usually no greater than is encountered in normal living environments. Their exposures are generally several orders of magnitude under the limits in internationally accepted standards. The aim of the conference is to review current state of knowledge and opinions of the conference participants and propose ways forward on this issue.
I hope this information is helpful. Thank you again for bringing your views to our attention.
Yours sincerely
George Hooker
Radiation and Toxicology Branch
Health Protection Division
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