Planning Bill

I wish to say a few words about my Amendment No. 65A. The question of health hazards from power line electromagnetic fields has been a subject of media attention for many years. The problem has been discussed in your Lordships’ House on many occasions in the past 25 years, most recently during our consideration of the Housing and Regeneration Bill in July. The first major western study—by two American researchers, Nancy Wertheimer and Ed Leeper—was published in 1979 and linked electromagnetic fields from power lines and domestic wiring to an increase in childhood cancer. Since then, the evidence has become stronger and, following Swedish studies in 1993, which showed a consistent doubling of childhood leukaemia risk, the National Grid has been forced to defend itself, including against inquiries from the public and the press and even against threats of legal action. In 2005, a study by the Department of Health—the Draper report—found that children living from birth within 200 metres of high-voltage power lines had a 70 per cent increased risk of developing childhood leukaemia. The statistical association is clear, but more research is needed to find the biological mechanism that links electric and magnetic fields from power lines with childhood leukaemia. I assure the Committee that high-voltage overhead transmission lines will be the subject of a national policy statement. My amendment is similar to that tabled by Richard Benyon in the other place. It would place a requirement on the Secretary of State to consult on potential health risks arising from national planning policy during the drafting of national policy statements. There is concern that the proposed system will allow much less consultation and representation from members of the public, as the IPC will be given only six months from the initial meeting to take evidence and another three months to deliberate. The IPC can decide what subjects are relevant to the discussion at the evidence sessions and can explicitly exclude subjects that are deemed to be covered by a national policy statement, which could include health. I know that the Minister will probably repeat the comments that she made during our consideration of the Housing and Regeneration Bill. It is important for everyone that the matter is carefully looked at and that more research is carried out. It is particularly important for children who live in those regions.