Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE)

COMARE advises on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation, both ionising and non-ionising.

Role of the group

COMARE is a Department of Health and Social Care expert committee, but it provides independent advice to all government departments and agencies.

At its meetings, the committee has representatives from:

  • Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

  • Department of Health and Social Care

  • Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland)

  • Environment Agency

  • Food Standards Agency

  • Food Standards Scotland

  • Health and Safety Executive

  • Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

  • Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

  • Office for Nuclear Regulation

  • Public Health England

  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency

  • Scottish Government

  • Welsh Government

Terms of reference

To assess and advise government and the devolved administrations on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation and to assess the adequacy of the available data and the need for further research.

Work Programme: 2020-2021 (PDF, 31.2KB, 2 pages)

Publications

COMARE Annual Report: 2019 (PDF, 56.6KB, 3 pages)

COMARE Reports

COMARE Statement (PDF, 99.3KB, 1 page) on the ‘Analysis of cancers associated with radiation in the area around Dalgety Bay, 2008-2017 - An update for the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE)’ - Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland

COMARE - files for early reports, statements and other documents

Past documents, including statements and history of the committee, are also held on the committee pages on the National Archives website.

Meetings

Minutes

20th November 2019: Minutes 124th meeting (PDF, 91.7KB, 8 pages)

9th July 2019: Minutes 123rd meeting (PDF, 93.2KB, 9 pages)

14th March 2019: Minutes 122nd meeting (corrected) (PDF, 130KB, 9 pages)

22nd November 2018: Minutes 121st meeting (PDF, 83.9KB, 7 pages)

COMARE meeting minutes and agendas

Abbreviations list for COMARE meeting minutes (PDF, 76.3KB, 3 pages)

Future meetings - 2020

126th meeting - 9th July 2020

Due to the current exceptional circumstances, the 126th meeting will not be held as planned in London but will be hosted online. Unfortunately it will not be possible to open the meeting to observers on this occasion.

126th meeting draft agenda (PDF, 45KB, 1 page)

127th meeting - 12th November 2020

Open meetings

COMARE holds open meetings to increase the visibility and transparency of its work. To attend a meeting as an observer, you will need to send an open meetings application form to the secretariat and follow the code of conduct for observers.

Procedure for open meetings (updated September 2019) (PDF, 67.4KB, 3 pages)

Open meetings application form (updated September 2019) (PDF, 63.1KB, 3 pages)

Membership

COMARE chooses members for their medical and scientific expertise and has never had members from the nuclear or electrical power supply industries. Current members are:

  • Dr Chris Gibson (Chair)

  • Dr Jane Barrett

  • Dr Paul Darragh (Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland)

  • Dr Frank de Vocht (University of Bristol)

  • Professor John Harrison (Oxford Brookes University)

  • Dr Mark Hill (University of Oxford)

  • Dr Ray Kemp (Lay member)

  • Dr Colin Martin (University of Glasgow)

  • Professor Stewart Martin (University of Nottingham)

  • Professor Stephanie McKeown (Ulster University)

  • Dr Richard McNally (Newcastle University)

  • Professor Paul Pharoah (University of Cambridge)

  • Professor Graham Smith

  • Professor David Sutton (NHS Tayside)

  • Professor Roger Taylor (Swansea University)

  • Professor Mireille Toledano (Imperial College, London)

Subcommittee, working group and secretariat membership (PDF, 26.8KB, 2 pages)

Declaration of members' interests (PDF, 39.2KB, 1 page)

Code of practice

COMARE adheres to the guidelines laid down in the code of practice for scientific advisory committees (Government Office for Science, 2011) as is appropriate and in agreement with the Department of Health and Social Care.

COMARE Code of Conduct (PDF, 50.5KB, 2 pages)

Contact

Email: comare@phe.gov.uk

COMARE Secretariat
c/o Public Health England
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
Chilton
Oxon OX11 0RQ

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