Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential health impact of the PSTN switch-off on people suffering from Electro-Hypersensitivity; and if he will make a statement.

No specific assessment has been made. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises that international guidelines on limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields should be complied with to ensure there are no consequences for public health. Research has been conducted to investigate whether certain people are particularly sensitive to exposures to electromagnetic fields from mobile phones, leading to symptoms which affect their health.

The UKHSA advises that electromagnetic fields below recommended guideline levels do not cause symptoms and cannot be detected by individuals, even those who consider themselves more susceptible to electromagnetic fields. This advice is based on reviews of scientific evidence, including a review undertaken by the independent expert Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation published in 2012. The UKHSA will continue to monitor the evidence as it emerges.