Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the roll-out of 5G on the sustainability of (a) insects, (b) other animals and (c) other wildlife.

Defra has funded national and global assessments of the status of pollinators and the factors driving changes in their populations. These assessments do not identify 5G or electromagnetic radiation as a driver.

Defra has not undertaken any formal assessment of the potential effect of the roll out of the 5G network on insects, other animals or other wildlife. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is the lead Department for 5G roll out and I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Stroud, Dr David Drew, on 29 May 2019 to PQ 256919.