P-04-553 A full and independent investigation in to the health risks of wireless and mobile phone technologies in Wales including all schools. Correspondence – Petitioner to the Committee -31.08.2016

Annwyl bawb ar y pwyllgor/tim deisebau,

Please see my response below to the latest resply by Public Health England, dated August 15th 2016 in regards to the Sovereign Wales petition titled: “A full and independent investigation in to the health risks of wireless and mobile phone technologies in Wales including all schools” My response should be less than four pages worth (in size 14 point) and is hopefully short enough for the full four pages to be sent to all the members sitting on the petitions panel and committee so that they can see the full information and have it all to hand. Extra supporting information and links to numerous reports can be found in the attached 3 files.

I would like to firstly draw your attention to the fact that what this Sovereign Wales petition asks for is for a full and independent investigation by the Welsh Government in to the effects of Wi fi and phone technologies in Wales including in all schools.

The full text is: "We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to conduct a full and independent investigation in to the effects of Electro Magnetic Fields created and emitted by wireless technologies, phone masts, mobile phones and other frequency emitters and domestic appliances on the health and general well being of humans and the natural world. There is now an enormous body of evidence demonstrating that the bombardment of modern traffic in electro magnetic fields can be harmful, causing DNA and cellular damage, having an impact on immune function and causing an increased risk of cancer and a loss of fertility – with children being especially susceptible to these threats"

The petition does not ask for Public Health England to decide what we should do in regards to this matter in Wales. Health is a devolved issue in Wales as can be seen in Schedule 7 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Therefore it is the duty, morally and legally, of the Welsh Government (and National Assembly members ) to deal with this matter with a full and proper independent investigation.

Next I will deal with the latest response by Public health England to the subject matter, dated August 15th 2016.

Public Health England (previously called the UK Health Protection Agency) state in their response that their advice in this matter refers to and is consistent with the 2012 report conducted by AGNIR (Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation) - a body they claim to be Public Health England's own independent advisory group. However, this is inaccurate and very misleading. They are not independent of each other. There is a serious conflict of interest between these two groups and others associated with them. As can be seen in the attached PDF called 'A need for accurate information' created by the 'Wi fi in schools' group, AGNIR is not independent of PHE, the group to whom they are reporting. Currently, eight (8/18) of the people involved in AGNIR (consultant, representatives, observer, and secretariat) work for PHE/DH. A group cannot provide independent advice when so many of the people represented are employed by the government and are the ones to whom you need to report your findings. It is not surprising that PHE were pleased with the AGNIR report, when they were so closely involved in it.

Also, many members (six at present) of AGNIR are also (or have previously been) members of ICNIRP - the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection, the group whose guidelines they are assessing. It is therefore not surprising that AGNIR decided that the ICNIRP guideline values, which they were part of setting and supporting, were still valid. AGNIR is not an independent group if any of its members are also part of the group whose guidelines they are assessing. AGNIR needs to be made up of scientists who are not members of ICNIRP.

The Government clearly benefits financially from the wireless communications industry. An independent group must not have government employees contributing to the group’s reports.

This controversial 2012 AGNIR report previously mentioned, titled 'Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields', is being used to support PHE's decision to allow the compulsory use of microwave-emitting wireless technologies by pupils and teachers in UK schools, despite medical and scientific warnings.

The AGNIR report lists many studies finding damaging biological and health effects from radiofrequency electromagnetic fields below current guidelines, but manages to dismiss them for various reasons. Some studies have been omitted.

The attached PDF report put together by the group 'Wi fi in schools' titled 'A need for accurate information' also states that the AGNIR report and statements made by Public Health England are innacurate and misleading and that the AGNIR statement of: “the literature provides no substantial evidence of such effects (ill effects from radio frequency radiation)” are astonishing and inaccurate conclusions given the large number of studies now published demonstrating damaging effects of radio frequency radiation. As mentioned, many of these studies were left out of the AGNIR report.

The report has also been criticised by Professor Dariusz Leszczynski from the Finnish Radiation Protection Agency. He commented that he considers the report to be biased and misleading. Numerous Medical Associations, medical doctors and leading scientists are calling for safe technologies in schools as can be seen by the attached 'Safe schools' report also by the group 'Wifi in schools' http://wifiinschools.org.uk/index.html

Home - WiFiinschools.org.uk

wifiinschools.org.uk

The science behind the health concerns over wireless technologies in schools. Information about a precautionary approach, the concerns of scientists, governments and ...

The group Mobilewise have also written to the PHE setting out their criticisms of the PHE statements in response to the AGNIR report and asking the PHE to revise its response (letter also attached) Mobilewise has asked the PHE to consider whether institutions who follow PHE advice, which contradicts the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Assessment, the Council of Europe Resolution and the European Parliament Resolution could be exposed to litigation. This same question of public bodies following misleading and inaccurate advice would also apply to the Welsh Government and both the previous Health Minister Mark Drakeford as well as the current Minister Vaughan Gething. As mentioned and as is enshrined in statute, there is a moral and legal duty on the Government and these Ministers and Assembly members to hold an independent investigation in to this important matter or they too could be exposed to litigation.

Conclusions

The AGNIR report and statements made by Public Health England are innacurate and misleading. The Welsh Government, as is enshrined in statute under the devolution agreement, has a moral and legal duty to protect the health of Welsh citizens, especially young children and young adults who are especially susceptible to the damaging effects of radio frequency radiation. As is enshrined in statute, the Welsh Government should not be taking legal guidance and instructions from a public body of another country on a matter that is devolved to Wales, as health is.

The Welsh Government is therefore duty bound and legally obliged to conduct its own full and independent investigation in to the effects of Radio Frequency Radiation and Electro Magnetic Fields created and emitted by wireless technologies, phone masts, mobile phones and other frequency emitters and domestic appliances, on the health and general well being of humans and the natural world in Wales.

All the attached supporting PDF's contain links to countless studies and reports about the ill effects of radio frequency radiation – the number of which are increasing by the day.

Many thanks for your time in considering this information,

Pob diolch,

Gruff Meredith