Vaughan Gething AM,
Minister for Health and Social Services“Please see attached response from the Welsh Government, posted on behalf of Lee Waters AM, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport:
Whilst appreciating the concerns outlined in the petition, and directed to the Welsh Government, I am afraid telecommunications is not a devolved matter, with responsibility resting with the UK Government. Likewise, there is currently no Welsh Government 5G project in Wales. Trials for 5G applications and use cases are ongoing, for example, through the UK Government’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme. I would kindly suggest that any specific queries regarding any 5G projects are directed to the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS):
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ
United Kingdom
enquiries@culture.gov.uk
Whilst the overall industrial specifications and health and safety considerations of 5G technology is not devolved to Wales, the wider public health of the Welsh population is devolved to the Welsh Government.
It is not expected that any 5G network will be rolled-out until late 2019, with full commercial 5G coverage across the UK not available until 2022/23. The roll out of 5G does not require public consent, although normal planning restrictions might apply for the erection of required infrastructure.
The Welsh Government is advised by Public Health England’s Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards (PHE-CRCE) in relation to the protection of communities from radiation hazards, which includes 5G and related technologies. The Welsh Government retains the services of PHE-CRCE in an advisory capacity because of their level of expertise and breadth of remit, and because they give greater weight to documents that use rigorous review processes and base their advice on the entire range of scientific information available.
Officials have requested information from PHE-CRCE in respect of the health effects of 5G, and they have provided the following information:
Mobile telecommunications technology has developed through several generations and there are now many 2G, 3G and 4G base stations installed throughout the environment providing services to users of mobile phones and other devices. Over the decades since the networks were first introduced there has been a general trend towards increasing numbers of smaller transmitters that individually provide services to smaller geographical areas and which have reducing radiated powers. Against this background, many measurements have been made and these continue to show that exposures of the general public to radio waves are well within the international health-related guideline levels that are used in the UK. These guidelines are from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and underpin health protection policies at UK and European levels.
In relation to the implementation of 5G user devices and networks, this technology is at an early stage and reflects the latest evolution in mobile communications technology. Current technical standards that draw on the ICNIRP guidelines will apply to the products that are developed and the UK network operators are already committed to complying with the ICNIRP guidelines.
With the increase in the volume of information being transferred, more spectrum is being made available and the highest frequencies being discussed for future use by 5G are around ten times higher than those used by current network technologies, up to a few tens of GHz. Their use is not new, and they have been used for point-to-point microwave links and some other types of transmitters that have been present in the environment for many years. ICNIRP guidelines apply up to 300 GHz, well beyond the maximum (few tens of GHz) frequencies under discussion for 5G.
Exposure to radio waves is not new and health-related research has been conducted on this topic over several decades. In particular, a large amount of new scientific evidence has emerged over the past few years through dedicated national and international research programmes that have addressed concerns about rapidly proliferating wireless technologies.
The main focus of recent research studies has been on exposure to the types of radio signals used by current communications technologies and at the frequencies they use, up to a few GHz. Fewer studies have been carried out at higher frequencies but the biophysical mechanisms that govern the interaction between radio waves and body tissues are well understood at higher frequencies and are the basis of the present ICNIRP restrictions. The main change in using higher frequencies is that there is less penetration of radio waves into body tissues and absorption of the radio energy, and any consequent heating, becomes more confined to the body surface.
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.
PHE-CRCE keeps emerging scientific studies worldwide under review and gives greater weight to documents that use rigorous review processes and base their advice on the entire range of scientific information available. PHE-CRCE publishes comprehensive reviews of the scientific evidence relevant to radio wave exposures and health from time to time and it is committed to keeping its advice under review and to updating its advice should new evidence dictate that is necessary, which at present it does not.
PHE-CRCE is aware of the large volume of recent media coverage highlighting campaigns from Electromagnetic Field (EMF) special interest groups, plus various Parliamentary Questions and a Petition in respect of 5G. PHE-CRCE continues to acknowledge there is a spectrum of views on the subject of EMFs and health. However, the views of PHE-CRCE and other authoritative bodies around the world have not changed as regards the scientific evidence.
I trust this information is of help. Should the position change, I will ensure the public are updated on latest findings.”
