Prohibit 5G technology in the UK

On the basis of the European Parliamentary Research Service's latest study of the health impact of 5G, I would like the Government to prohibit 5G technology in the UK. This should include the installation and operation of 5G masts.

5G operates at frequencies that could pose a real threat to human health.

A literature review by the European Parliamentary Research Service found " is sufficient evidence in experimental animals of the carcinogenicity of RF radiation" (please refer to 6.1 in the linked report.

The review also found "there is sufficient evidence of adverse effects on the fertility of men" and " sufficient evidence of adverse effects on male rat and mouse fertility" - see section 6.3 / 6.4

5G is the new, fifth generation of wireless technology. It brings greater speed, capacity and functionality to wireless services, opening up new opportunities for consumers, businesses and public services. This is why the Government is developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to set out a strategic framework for the development, deployment and adoption of 5G and future networks.

Like previous mobile generations, including 3G and 4G, 5G uses the radio spectrum. The radio spectrum supports all of the wireless services used by people and businesses every day. There is nothing fundamentally different about the physical characteristics of the radio signals that will be produced by 5G compared to previous technologies like 3G and 4G.

Health experts have studied the effects of radio waves on health for many years. The Government relies on the scientific advice received from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in relation to radio waves in the UK. The UKHSA is aware of the European Parliament’s report and of reports and opinions developed by a range of national and international health authorities on the same health topics. UKHSA monitors the emerging evidence and provides advice on the public health aspects of exposure to radio waves, including those from 5G communications systems. The European Union’s own scientific expert committees have published five multidisciplinary expert reviews of the evidence to date, and a sixth is presently being prepared by the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER). A plain language summary published alongside the fifth (2015) review explains that “the results of current scientific research show that there are no evident adverse health effects if exposure remains below the levels set by current standards.”

UKHSA’s advice in respect of 5G remains unchanged and states in summary: “It is possible that there may be a small increase in overall exposure to radio waves when 5G is added to an existing network or in a new area. However, the overall exposure is expected to remain low relative to guidelines and, as such, there should be no consequences for public health.” As such, the Government will not prohibit the installation and use of 5G technology.

Central to UKHSA’s advice are the guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which is formally recognised by the World Health Organization. The ICNIRP guidelines underpin health protection policies at UK and European levels.

The ICNIRP issues guidelines on human exposure to electro-magnetic fields (EMF), based upon the consensus view of a large amount of research carried out over many years. This includes the frequencies used by 5G and all other mobile / wireless technologies. Over the last two decades there have been over 100 expert reports on EMF and health published internationally with well over 3,000 studies informing these reviews and the existing scientific exposure guidelines.

The control of exposures occurs through product safety legislation, health and safety legislation and planning policy. These regulatory areas all consider the international guidelines. Ofcom spectrum licence conditions also require licensees to comply with the international guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields for the protection of the general public. It also requires licensees to keep records demonstrating their compliance. Ofcom undertakes measurements to confirm that mobile base stations, including 5G mobile base stations, do not exceed the limits set out in the international guidelines. These published measurements have consistently shown that EMF levels are well within the general public EMF limits. Further information on these measurements can be found at:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/emf

UKHSA is committed to monitoring the evidence applicable to this and other radio technologies and to keeping its advice under review. A summary of advice from UKHSA on 5G and mobile base stations can be found at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health

Furthermore, the World Health Organization has stated that, to date, and after much research performed, no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies. Further information can be found at:

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-5g-mobile-networks-and-health

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603979)