MOBILE PHONE MASTS

Early day motion 56, tabled 18 November 1999 by Howard Stoate (Labour). Signed by 181 members.

That this House notes the considerable public concern regarding the siting of new mobile telecommunication masts; further notes the comments of the World Health Organisation on the scarcity of data on possible long-term health risks; and therefore urges the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, local planning authorities and mobile phone network providers to work in partnership to ensure that extensions to these networks apply the sequential approach to the siting of masts, starting with the sharing of existing masts, the use of existing buildings and structures, and (only when new masts can be shown to be essential), employ the precautionary principle in siting these masts where they will cause the least possible visual and environmental impact and as far as possible from schools and areas of high population density.

Signatures by party: Labour 116, Liberal Democrat 27, Conservative 23, Labour/Co-operative 7, UUP 3, DUP 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UKUP 1, Unknown 1.