133 Molesworth
Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
4 August 2023
Michael Vaughan
By email: [FYI request #23479 email]
Ref:
H2023029088
Tēnā koe Michael
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to Manatū
Hauora (the Ministry of Health) on 12 July 2023 for information regarding the Interagency
Commit ee on the Health Effects of Non-Iodising Fields. You requested:
1) Please give details of the consumer representation on the Interagency Committee
for Health Effects of Non-Ionising Fields over the last three years. Please state the
name of the consumer representative and how often this person has attended
meetings during the last three years.
Consumer New Zealand represents the interest of consumers on the Committee. The name
of the individual has been withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act to protect the privacy of
natural persons. I have considered the countervailing public interest in releasing information
and consider that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
Meetings are held every six months. During the last three years, the consumer
representative has attended two meetings. The consumer representative received the
meeting notes and papers tabled at all meetings and was given the opportunity to make
comments.
2) Please supply all information about the 'terms of reference' for this Committee.
The terms of reference are included in an appendix in the Minister’s 2022 report which is
publicly available here:
www.health.govt.nz/publication/interagency-committee-health-
effects-non-ionising-fields-report-ministers-2022. Please refer to page 101 for further
information.
3) Please supply the Minutes of the most recent meeting of this Committee
A copy of the minutes from the 16 February 2023 Interagency meeting is attached to this
letter and is released to you in full.
4) Please specify who wrote the most recent Minutes
Martin Gledhil wrote the most recent Minutes as the Acting Secretary.
5) Please specify who selected the scientific reviews presented to the Committee at
the most recent meeting
Any commit ee member may provide reports to the meeting. John Dockerty compiled and
provided the International Reports on Electromagnetic Fields (ELF), Ken Karpidis provided
an update on Australian developments including scientific reports published by the
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), and Martin Gledhil
compiled and provided the International Reports on Radio Frequency (RF).
4) Please supply full details of the way in which Conflicts of Interest are managed with
particular reference to Mr. Martin Gledhil . Please specify how the Ministry of Health is
ensuring that advice provided by Mr. Gledhil is independent and in no way influenced
by his company's contracts with major telecommunications companies.
Manatū Hauora manages any conflicts of interest in line with the Controller and Auditor-
General guide for public service. This is publicly available here:
oag.parliament.nz/2020/conflicts.
The EMF Services website notes their advice on health effects is guided by the findings of
reviews of the relevant research that has been published by independent national and
international health and scientific bodies. Information on managing their potential conflicts of
interest is publicly available here:
www.emfservices.co.nz/about-us.
I trust this information fulfils your request. If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request
with us, including this decision, please feel free to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-
releases/responses-of icial-information-act-requests.
Nāku noa, nā
Dr Andrew Old
Deputy Director-General
Public Health Agency | Te Pou Hauora Tūmatanui
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