Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to request information from mobile operators on the localised effects of the installation of 5G on (a) people and (b) the natural environment.

We are committed to becoming a world leader in 5G, and for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027. Following the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review which sets out the Government’s national, long-term strategy for delivering world leading telecoms infrastructure across the UK, the Government is working to create the right conditions for the deployment of 5G.

Ministers have regular discussions with Mobile Network Operators on a full range of subjects relating to mobile coverage and future digital infrastructure development, including 5G. Specific issues relating to health concerns and the natural environment are the responsibility of DHSC/Public Health England (PHE) and DEFRA respectively.

A considerable amount of research has been carried out on radio waves and we anticipate no negative effects on public health.

PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) takes the lead on public health matters associated with radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, or radio waves, used in telecommunications.

Central to PHE advice is that exposures to radio waves should comply with the guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). ICNIRP is formally recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO).