Mobile Telephones

Health written question – answered at on 25 April 2006.

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Photo of Andrew Mitchell Andrew Mitchell Shadow Secretary of State (Home Office)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to update the leaflets on the health risks of mobile telephones and mobile telephone base stations published by her Department six years ago.

Photo of Caroline Flint Caroline Flint Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health)

The leaflets on Mobile Phones and Health" and on Mobile Phone Base Stations and Health" were produced following the comprehensive review of the science published by the independent expert group on mobile phones (the Stewart report) in 2000. The Stewart report remains the basis of science underpinning the health policy relating to exposure mobile phone radio waves. However, in view of the time elapsed and the need to provide up-to-date information, consideration is currently being given to a revised version of the leaflets.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes4 people think so

No25 people think not

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Annotations

Amanda Wesley
Posted on 27 Apr 2006 2:56 pm (Report this annotation)

Perhaps they'll give consideration to actually putting them in the shops where the phones are sold as well.
On a survey of Birmingham City Centre, out of all of the retail outlets selling mobiles (including 'family stores' such as Woolworth's) only ONE shop could produce a leaflet, which the proprietor covertly produced from a back room as if it were covert information, and only one other shop knew what the leaflets were!
So, perhaps the Government will also make sure these leaflets are on display, as we were lead to believe at a meeting over a year ago with Sam Sharpe, then of the DTI?

Andy Davidson
Posted on 27 Apr 2006 10:33 pm (Report this annotation)

Consideration is being given? Actually the DoH doesn't know what to do. Are we in such an "e" age that leaflets are passé, since everyone goes online (these days via a mobile device perhaps!). The impression I get is that there is no intention at all to convey any message that remotely suggests there may be harm from use of mobile phones.

Reliance on Stewart (2000) as definitive misses the point that there have been several extensive internationl studies of long-term mobile phone use since then, and that pretty much all of them show there IS a problem after about 10 years frequent use. Caroline Flint's answer probably reflects the need to establish the latest national 3G infrastructures and secure their success and revenue, BEFORE getting to grips with the sensitive issues.

The electromagnetic environment from the eleven national operator systems for mobile phones and TETRA is hugely different from that pertaining even in 1999 when the Stewart report was being written. The DoH is ignoring the very widespread (if "anecdotal") evidence that a large number of people are physically suffering the effects from phone and TETRA masts, because it is complicated and very inconvenient.

New leaflets with honest up-to-date content are needed, and they must be presented to all users and to all people presented with local planning applications for masts in their neighbourhoods. The departmental attitude that they will only cause anxiety and create problems is sadly misplaced. Who will foot the bill finally for what may emerge? Yes, us, via DoH.

We need better from Caroline Flint than that it is "all wrapped up years ago and hunky dory".

Sylvia Wright
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 8:06 am (Report this annotation)

As a Parish Councillor I was alarmed that no parent I spoke to had seen the leaflet "Mobile Phones & Health" and, more worryingly, most did not understand the possible risk to health of giving their young child a mobile phone. I visited local Doctors surgeries and found that none had a copy of the leaflet and were also apparently unaware of the suspected health problems surrounding the technology. These leaflets were supposed to be widely distributed to give parents the chance to make an "informed choice". When I tried to obtain a supply of the leaflets to distribute in my village I found that my e-mails were either ignored or misunderstood. I finally received a cardboard box containing a supply of the publication "Valuing people with learning difficulties in the 21st century"!!! I still have these and have thought about sending one to each of the Government Departments who still maintain, despite the ever growing mountain of independent evidence from around the world, that mobile phone/mast emissions are safe.

Sir William Stewart himself told me, at a meeting in Norwich 18 months ago, that a new leaflet was being produced - why the delay, when we have just heard that Disney are to now enter into the mobile phone market - Just who is charged with the important task of protecting our children from this exploitation?? Is this another example of a Government Department who will be found to be wanting?
Cllr Sylvia Wright

Matthew Somerville
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 9:25 am (Report this annotation)

The latest version of the leaflet (revised September 2005) can be found at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/...

Eileen O'Connor
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 4:08 pm (Report this annotation)

The British Government need an URGENT media awareness campaign about the growing concerns/research with regards to dangers of using a mobile phone.

Recent research by Drs Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlberg and Kjell Hansson Mild, combined two studies on malignant brain tumours diagnosed during 1997-2003 included answers from 905 (90%) cases and 2,162 (89%) controls aged 20-80 years. The analysis all phone types increased the risk and were statistically significant. Increased risk was obtained for both cellular and cordless phones, highest in the group with more than 10 years use of mobile or cordless phones

Children should be the biggest concern, as they are using mobile phones without knowing or following the precautionary advice given by Sir William Stewart, Chairman for the Health Protection Agency, UK.

The report, Mobile Phones and Health, was released in April 2000. In regards to the use of mobile phones by children the IEGMP stated:
"If there are currently unrecognized adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones, children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system, the greater absorption of energy in the tissues of the head and a longer lifetime of exposure. In line with our precautionary approach, we believe that the widespread use of mobile phones by children for non-essential calls should be discouraged. We also recommend that the mobile phone industry should refrain from promoting the use of mobile phones by children."
Sir William said at a science conference at Glasgow University in September 2001 that mobile phone makers often presented their products in adverts as essential "back to school" items for children. Such adverts were irresponsible,. He added:

"They are irresponsible because children's skulls are not fully developed. They will be using mobile phones for longer, and their effects won't be known for some time to come. Mobile phone technology has been led by the physical sciences. My own view is we ought to be doing more work on the potential biological effects." Sir William also said he would not allow his grandchildren to use mobile phones.

Lloyd Morgan, Director of the Central Brain Tumour Registry of the United States recentlay said Parents should deny use of cellphones to all children less than 18 years of age.

Austrian Doctors poster campaign gives out 10 rules one of the rules states children and teenagers under 16 should never use one!

Russian National Committee on non-ionizing radiation protection (RNCNIRP) offers the following advice on the safe use of mobile phones. Children under the age of 16 should not use mobile phones.

Concerns and research is mounting, mobile phones should be for emergency use only! This would also cut down the need for so many phone masts. It’s about time the Government put a health warning on the phones and listened to scientific advice.

Eileen O'Connor
Trustee - EM Radiation Research Trust
www.radiationresearch.org

Jill Hoad
Posted on 29 Apr 2006 9:54 pm (Report this annotation)

I note the info from Matthew Somerville re the Revised version of Sept 2005 of the leaflets on Mobile Phones and Base Stations following the Stewart Report of 2000. I can't see that there is any difference from the original. It still says "Mobile phones are low power devices that emit and receive radio waves. These connect each phone to a network of base stations so that users can make and receive calls."

On 'The Register' website http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/10/coach_wi-fi_trial/ re trialling in-coach Wi-Fi by National Express it reports the projected upgrades likely for 3G networks which when you think about it are not really necessary for simple phone calls but for access to the entertainment industry i.e.
"3G data coverage is available to over 60 per cent of the UK population, with GPRS data coverage extending to over 95 per cent. UK mobile operators including T-Mobile and Vodafone are planning upgrades for existing 3G networks to HSDPA (High Speed Packet Download Access) during 2006, which will see download speeds increase to over 1.5 Mbps. Telabria expects to support HSDPA within the MobilAP product line later this year."
Six year old information in this situation is just not good enough. But then nobody gets to see it anyway!

Karen Barratt
Posted on 2 May 2006 5:37 pm (Report this annotation)

If the 'new' leaflet is as difficult to find as the current one there seems little point in re-writing it. If the revised version is to be of any use it needs to be handed to prospective customers in every mobile phone retail outlet not hidden away in back rooms.I wrote to Patricia Hewitt on 17 June 2005 suggesting the leaflet be circulated to parents via schools and that Dept of Health advice to children was promoted via a poster campaign. She did not reply. I suspect the only way the leaflet will get wider publicity is if all the warning messages are removed. This might be an attractive proposition for the telecom industry but not likely to happen as the existence of the leaflet (mild as it is) will be used in the future to absolve the Govt of responsibility, should angry parents of sick children attempt to sue for compensation on the ground that the dangers of mobiles had not been made clear.