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 level of risk to the health of children posed by wi-fi systems in the home; and if he will make a statement.

Public Health England (PHE) advises that exposure to radio waves, including those from Wi-Fi equipment in the home, should comply with the guidelines on limiting exposures from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). These guidelines underpin health protection policies at United Kingdom and European levels. These guidelines can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.icnirp.org/cms/upload/publications/ICNIRPLFgdl.pdf

A comprehensive evidence review prepared by the independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) was published in 2012. This review concluded that, although a substantial amount of research has been conducted in this area, there is no convincing evidence that electromagnetic field exposures below guideline levels cause health effects in either adults or children. The AGNIR report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/radiofrequency-electromagnetic-fields-health-effects

PHE continues to monitor the health-related evidence and reviews emerging around the world, and is committed to updating its advice as required.