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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.C.L. BAUDAINS OF ST. CLEMENT
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 26th JUNE 2012
Question
Further to the response given by the Minister for Planning and Environment to my question on 12th June 2012 regarding the use of mobile phones and wireless broadband connections, would the Minister advise what research, if any, the Health and Social Services Department has carried out into possible health implications of wireless broadband and, if none, state why not?
Answer
HSSD reviews international research when considering the risk of electromagnetic radiation from these sources. There is a large body of international research carried out using data from population numbers that cannot be replicated in Jersey.
The current research advice for the use of mobile phones from the International Agency for Research on Cancer is; "there could be some risk and a close watch needs to be maintained". This advice resulted from a study of 6500 cancer cases in 13 countries.
The UK's Health Protection Agency advice on mobile phone use is; "The scientific consensus is that, apart from the increased risk of a road accident due to mobile phone use when driving, there is no clear evidence of adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones or from phone masts". And for wireless broadband is; On the basis of current evidence, the HPA does not consider there to be a problem with the safety of WLAN (wireless broadband)'.
In the case of wireless broadband the European CE standard controls the emission of electromagnetic radiation and consumers should look for this marking when buying equipment.
In Jersey, HSSD's Health Protection Service maintains a watching brief and consults on any planning applications for new mast deployments.