Potential 5G health risks (FOI)

Request

In view of the Belgian decision to review 5G due to potential health effects, and the cancellation of installation permits in some UK towns, can the Health and Planning departments list:

A

Which experts advise them on radio frequency health, and what are their qualifications?

B

What studies have been done locally on the health effects of 5G?

C

Will there be a public inquiry before any 5G installations?

D

What consideration will be given to installation of 5G bases on domestic properties?

E

Will the Island allow 5G installations on States owned properties?

F

Given the reluctance of a number of European countries to allow 5G, will Jersey be looking at these countries standards of health protection?

G

Should Jersey protect its residents to the same level as those in Brussels? If not, why not?

H

Finally please release any emails sent to or from the Minister of Health or his Chief Officer and the Environment Minister or his Chief Officer that mention 5G or mobile phone transmission in the last year.

Response

A

The Government of Jersey is not advised by specific experts. The Government of Jersey will continue to be guided by advice and guidance from relevant bodies including Jersey’s Environmental Health Officers, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection and World Health Organisation as well as Public Health England

B

This information is not held by the Government of Jersey. No studies have been carried out locally.

C

A public planning enquiry is not required in relation to the installation of mobile phone masts as their use is not a substantive departure from the island plan. However, a public enquiry was carried out by Scrutiny into the installation of 4G. The report detailing the findings can be found on www.gov.je using the link below. Also, CICRA will be holding public consultations with regard to the roll out of 5G.

Response to report into the perceived health effects of mobile phone masts

D

This information is not held by the Government of Jersey. All such installations are subject to planning permissions. It should be noted that The Channel Islands telecoms regulator monitors emissions from existing 2G, 3G and 4G mobile network masts and publishes the results (see below). This monitoring exercise will be extended to 5G services.

CICRA Media Release 09 November 2017 - Telecoms Mast Audit

E

The Government of Jersey (GOJ) would allow 5G installations upon Public properties, providing the installations meet the necessary regulatory requirements and all relevant consents are obtained.

F

This information is not held by the Government of Jersey. However, the Government of Jersey continues to take account of all developments around 5G including the advice and guidance from relevant UK and international bodies.

G

This question has not been answered as it appears to ask for opinion rather than information held.

H

A search was performed on the emails of Deputy John Young (Minister for the Environment), Deputy Richard Renouf (Minister for Health), John Rogers (Director General of Growth, Housing and Environment) and Anthony McKeever (Interim Director General for Health and Community Services).

The search was performed on keywords “5G” and “mobile phone transmission”. No relevant results were returned for the search on “mobile phone transmission”.

Please find enclosed the relevant results of the email search on “5G”.

JY 5G (Redacted)

RR 5G (Redacted)

JR 5G (Redacted)

Please note that duplicates have been removed, including the only email returned from a search on Mr McKeever’s emails. A small number of emails and attachments have also been removed in entirety under Article 35 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

The emails attached have been redacted in accordance with the following articles of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (the Law):

Article 25 Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

Article 25 has been applied to the names and personal details (ie emails and telephone numbers) of Government staff below a certain grade and to the details of third parties.

Article 35 Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

The SPA is withholding the release of certain parts of the information as it relates to the formulation and development of policy by the public authority.

Article 35 is a qualified exemption, which means that a public interest test is required to be undertaken by the SPA. It is therefore necessary for the scheduled public authority to examine the circumstances of the case. Following assessment the SPA has to decide whether, on balance, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Although there is a need for transparency, accountability, financial and good decision making by public authorities this information relates to an ongoing situation. The SPA – and indeed good government, requires Ministers to be provided with full, frank advice from officials about the possible impact of proposed policy, and for Ministers and officials to be able to discuss and test those proposed policies in a comprehensive way.

The following considerations were taken into account:

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure

• disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary discussions have taken place – and that concerns of the public have been assessed and evaluated in the light of the current available research and information

• disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information

• in order to best develop policy and provide advice to Ministers, officials need a safe space in which free and frank discussion can take place. The need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy. Sharing views internally within the Department and across Government is important to ensure that all relevant considerations are taken into account in developing and implementing policy. Disclosure at a time when these views are still being considered would negatively impact the Department’s ability to fully consider the information

• release of the information at this stage might generate misinformed debate in areas where future options have yet to be finalised. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately

• premature disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy–making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future policy development across wider Departmental business

Taking into account the various factors, the SPA has applied redactions where necessary to maintain this exemption.

It should also be noted that once a policy is formulated and published, the public interest in withholding information relating to its formulation is diminished, however, the use of the exemption can be supported if it preserves sufficient freedom during the policy formulation phase to explore options without that process being hampered by some expectation of future publication.