It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Department is currently working with independent testing houses on developing and assessing the protocols for meeting the proposed British Standard for specifying noticeboards in schools. The Department will, in due course, issue a short note to responsible bodies on these new standards, which will also be included in the updated 'Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools' in 2020.

The Department’s output specification is primarily for use in setting construction and design standards for centrally delivered school building projects and is not a statutory guidance document. This specification is available to other responsible bodies in support of any school building construction activities.

The Department is currently working with independent testing houses on developing and assessing the protocols for meeting the proposed British Standard for specifying noticeboards in schools. The Department will, in due course, issue a short note to responsible bodies on these new standards, which will also be included in the updated 'Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools' in 2020.

The Department’s output specification is primarily for use in setting construction and design standards for centrally delivered school building projects and is not a statutory guidance document. This specification is available to other responsible bodies in support of any school building construction activities.

The Government published, on 18 December 2018, a call for evidence to form the basis for a technical review of Approved Document B (Fire Safety). Paragraphs 35 and 36 address means of escape for disabled people and paragraphs 38 to 41 address the issue of smoke and toxicity.

The call for evidence closed on 15 March 2019. The Department is in the process of reviewing the evidence provided. My Department is also committed to reviewing Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) and a key objective is to ensure that these two projects deliver consistent and co-ordinated advice on this important matter.

Schools must be safe places in which to work and study. The Department, as part of the regular review of its standards for school buildings, has recently completed research into the flammability of notice boards used in schools. The outcome of this work has been used to clarify the specification the Department uses in relation to noticeboards in new school buildings. The updated specification can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-design-and-construction.

The British Educational Suppliers Association responded to our recent call for evidence on Building Bulletin 100, which will be followed by a full public consultation on the guidance and its supporting tools.

The British Government condemns the arrest and detention of Yasir Arman by the Sudanese security forces. We are aware that Yasir Arman has been deported to South Sudan. We call for his immediate release and for the legitimate demands of Sudanese people to be respected. Violence must not be used, including against opponents. Sudanese people should not be faced with the threat of arbitrary detention or deportation. We consistently made clear to the former Government of Sudan our expectation that all detainees should be treated in accordance with international standards; we continue to call upon the Sudanese authorities to do so.

On 6 June, I summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express the grave concerns of the United Kingdom at the use of violence against civilians by the Sudanese authorities. Our Embassy in Khartoum calls on members of the Transitional Military Council both in public and directly the steps that needed to be taken to improve the situation in Sudan, including the release of all political detainees. We also engage regularly with civil society groups on the issue of detainee treatment.

As announced by the Secretary of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 12 June, we will shortly be consulting on proposals to simplify planning processes in England to support the rollout of 5G and further improve mobile coverage in rural areas.

Public Health England’s (PHE’s) Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards takes the lead on public health matters associated with radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, or radio waves, used in telecommunications. Central to PHE advice is that exposure to radio waves should comply with the guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). ICNIRP is formally recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While a small increase in overall exposure to radio waves is possible when 5G is added to the existing network, the overall exposure is expected to remain low and well within the ICNIRP guidelines.

National planning policy sets out that applications for electronic communications equipment should be supported by a statement that self-certifies that when operational, ICNIRP guidelines will be met.

I have regular meetings with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on a range of subjects including 5G developments. MNOs will lead the rollout of 5G in the UK and provide the vast majority of commercial investment in 5G networks.

The Government is setting the policy and regulatory environment needed to ensure the right conditions for investment in the development of 5G networks.

5G spectrum frequencies that have been granted licenses have similar properties to those which are currently used in mobile communications technologies. A considerable amount of research has been carried out on radio waves and Public Health England (PHE) have concluded that exposures of radio waves to the public are well within the international health-related guideline levels that are used in the UK. All 5G technology will also have to adhere to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) exposure guidelines.

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and health evidence reviews have been prepared by scientific expert groups in the United Kingdom and around the world. The independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) published their report in the UK in 2012 and the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) published their report in 2015. The World Health Organization is presently preparing a review. The AGNIR report is available at the following link:

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

The SCENIHR report is available at the following link:

https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/scientific_committees/docs/citizens_emf_en.pdf

Based on the accumulated evidence and reviews, Public Health England (PHE) advises that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that EMF exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects.

PHE has committed to keeping the emerging evidence under review and to preparing another comprehensive review when sufficient new evidence has accumulated.

The UK is engaging with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and with the a range of opposition groups and the protest movement in Sudan. We are calling for the legitimate demands of Sudanese people to be respected and for power to be handed over to civilian leadership. Violence must not be used. This message has been firmly delivered in Sudan by our Ambassador to the Deputy Head of the TMC. The UK, alongside Troika partners Norway and the US, has called for all sides to engage in an inclusive dialogue, that leads to a swift, orderly and peaceful transition to civilian rule. On 29 May our Ambassador delivered this message to Yassir Arman of SPLM-N and encouraged all armed movements to return to Sudan and take part in the talks to agree a civilian-led transition and achieve peace. We will continue to engage with all sides to support a settlement that works for all Sudanese people.

Public Health England (PHE) has published a webpage about exposure to the radio waves from mobile phone base stations, including those for 5G networks, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health

This explains the health-related reviews and assessments have been performed, as well as the practical measures that are in place to protect public health.

PHE advises that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects. The guidelines apply to exposures at frequencies up to 300 GHz, well above the maximum few tens of GHz frequencies anticipated for use by 5G systems.

Health and safety legislation requires companies deploying and operating communication networks to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, as well as put in place measures to reduce the identified risks so far as reasonably practicable. In controlling risks arising from radio wave exposure, the Health and Safety Executive refer to compliance with the ICNIRP guidelines. Industry has committed to comply with the international guidelines and to provide certificates of compliance with planning applications for base stations.

PHE continues to monitor the health-related evidence applicable to radio waves, including in relation to base stations, and is committed to updating its advice as required.

Public Health England (PHE) has published a webpage about exposure to the radio waves from mobile phone base stations, including those for 5G networks, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health

This explains the health-related reviews and assessments have been performed, as well as the practical measures that are in place to protect public health.

PHE advises that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects. The guidelines apply to exposures at frequencies up to 300 GHz, well above the maximum few tens of GHz frequencies anticipated for use by 5G systems.

Health and safety legislation requires companies deploying and operating communication networks to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, as well as put in place measures to reduce the identified risks so far as reasonably practicable. In controlling risks arising from radio wave exposure, the Health and Safety Executive refer to compliance with the ICNIRP guidelines. Industry has committed to comply with the international guidelines and to provide certificates of compliance with planning applications for base stations.

PHE continues to monitor the health-related evidence applicable to radio waves, including in relation to base stations, and is committed to updating its advice as required.

Public Health England (PHE) has published a webpage about exposure to the radio waves from mobile phone base stations, including those for 5G networks, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health

This explains the health-related reviews and assessments have been performed, as well as the practical measures that are in place to protect public health.

PHE advises that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects. The guidelines apply to exposures at frequencies up to 300 GHz, well above the maximum few tens of GHz frequencies anticipated for use by 5G systems.

Health and safety legislation requires companies deploying and operating communication networks to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, as well as put in place measures to reduce the identified risks so far as reasonably practicable. In controlling risks arising from radio wave exposure, the Health and Safety Executive refer to compliance with the ICNIRP guidelines. Industry has committed to comply with the international guidelines and to provide certificates of compliance with planning applications for base stations.

PHE continues to monitor the health-related evidence applicable to radio waves, including in relation to base stations, and is committed to updating its advice as required.

The Department is not responsible for the information provided by satellite navigation systems. These systems are commercial products which assist drivers with navigation and information about the routes. Guidance provided by these satellite navigation systems should only ever be considered as advisory. However, Highways England publishes its traffic flow information and the Department is also aware that manufacturers produce satellite navigation devices for lorries in order to provide them with routing information appropriate to their vehicle.