3.23 There has been widespread concern in the UK and internationally over recent years about whether mobile communications masts and handsets could be dangerous to people's health. Existing guidelines recommend limits to an individual's exposure to non-ionising radiation and feed into the police protocols on the use of their existing radios.
3.24 An Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, set up at the request of the Minister for Public Health, reviewed the available evidence and published a report6 in May 2000 (commonly referred to as the Stewart report). The report made recommendations about the safeguards that should be employed in siting base stations and further research that should be carried out to ensure a fuller understanding of the effects of non-ionising radiation on humans. One recommendation of the report was that, as a precautionary measure, amplitude modulation around 16 Hz should be avoided, if possible, in signal coding. Because TETRA handsets use amplitude modulation at 17.6 Hz there was speculation that there might be an adverse health impact associated with the TETRA-based Airwave system. Following the recommendations of the Stewart report the Government announced, in conjunction with the mobile telecommunications industry, funding of approximately £7 million to carry out further, more extensive research into the impact of mobile communications systems on humans.
3.25 Because this research will take time, the Home Office in the interim, commissioned a review of the research relevant to TETRA. The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)7 was asked to provide advice on any implications for the health of TETRA users. A report examining all the relevant research published to date was produced by the NRPB's advisory group on non-ionising radiation in July 2001. The review concluded that the current evidence suggests that it is unlikely that the special features of signals from TETRA mobile terminals and repeaters pose a hazard to health.
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6 Mobile Phones and Health. Report of the Independent Expert group on Mobile Phones.
7 A statutory body incorporated in 1970, responsible for directing research and providing information and advice on radiation and possible hazards.