Parents are ignoringhealth warnings by allowing young children to use mobile phones, according to a leading expert. In his latest report, Sir William Stewart, head of the National Radiological Protection Board, says there is still no proof that mobiles are harmful, but nonetheless he recommends a precautionary approach because of the difficulties of assessing the impact of such a rapidly evolving technology. He points out that childrens' skulls are not fully thickened and their nervous systems not properly developed - any radiation from a phone will penetrate further into their brains. Sir William also calls for a review of the planning process for base stations and argues that mobile phone masts should not be sited near schools, saying he is now more concerned about possible health hazards than he was five years ago. According to the latest figures, one in four children between the ages of seven and ten, now owns a mobile phone.
Parents can help reduce the risks by chosing phones with a low emission rate or SAR - go to the Mobile Manufacturers Forum website for information on individual phones.
Do you think children under 8 should be allowed to use mobile phones? Tell us what you think by voting in our Tigerpoll.
Parental leave is designed to allow parents more time with their young children. As of 15 December 1999, employees with children born or adopted on or after that date and who have completed one year's continuous service with their employer have been entitled to a total of 13 weeks parental leave per parent per child. Parents are entitled to 18 weeks parental leave for each child receiving Disability Living Allowance.
In April 2001, rights to parental leave were extended to all parents of children under five on 15 December 1999. The leave is usually unpaid and should not be confused with maternity or paternity leave.
You must take your parental leave before your child turns five unless you are receiving Disability Living Allowance for the child, in which case you can take parental leave until the child’s 18th birthday. Where a child has been adopted, you can take your parental leave in the five years after the adoption placement or until the child’s 18th birthday, whichever is sooner.
Parental leave is usually limited to four weeks in any annual leave year but your employer may offer more flexible terms.
All employees are also entitled to take reasonable time off work to deal with an emergency or unexpected situation involving a dependant.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) publishes regulatory guidance on parental leave on its website, which may answer many of your questions (you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader tosome of the DTI documents which you can download for free). If not, you can contact the DTI Working Parents Helpline on for more assistance.
Juliet Jones lives in domestic chaos with husband Steve, son Oliver (aged 5) and daughters Billie (aged 3) and Rosa (born 1 May 2003) in Hertfordshire.
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