Press Release
Report By MPs Will Save Young Lives Say Leading Leukaemia Charity
18 July 2007
Leading childhood leukaemia charity, CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA, has welcomed a new report from a Cross-Party Inquiry of senior backbench MPs, which they say adds unprecedented political support to the growing international scientific, medical and professional consensus that a precautionary building moratorium should be introduced to protect children’s health.
The report, being launched in Parliament at 10.30am on Wednesday 18 July, will recommend that Government introduce a building moratorium within at least 60 metres of existing High Voltage Overhead Transmission Lines.
Edward Copisarow, CEO of CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA said “This report really gives Government the green light it needs to introduce precaution in the UK. Precautionary measures have already been introduced in Europe (Switzerland, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands) and as far afield as Australia - it’s now time for us to follow suit. This report clearly comes down in favour of precaution now and it does so solely on the basis of preventing childhood leukaemia. "
The Inquiry, made up of five MPs with a particular interest in health, is one of a number of groups and individuals who have called for the introduction of precautionary measures to reduce EMF exposure following the publication of the Draper Report in 2005, which reported an association between children living near power lines and a 70% increase in risk of leukaemia.
Over 220 MPs signed an Early Day Motion demanding that the Government supports CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA’s call for an immediate moratorium on new homes being built near power lines, the Government’s Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAGE) concluded in April that a building ban was the ‘best available option’ to reduce exposure and recommended more information be given to the public on the potential health risks of EMF exposure. In response to the recommendations in the SAGE Report, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) called on the Government to legislate to restrict the building of new homes and schools next to existing power lines and most recently, a new Report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that implementing ‘very low-cost precautionary procedures to reduce [EMF] exposure is reasonable and warranted’.
Eddie O’Gorman, Chairman of CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA, who lost a son to leukaemia and a daughter to cancer, has campaigned for 20 years for a better understanding of the effects of EMF and power lines. He said “This report is yet another example of the weight of opinion on this issue, not only from families affected, but well respected politicians, scientists and the general public. Action needs to be taken and taken now”.
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