Anniversaries Births: Sir Christopher Wren mathematician and architect 1632 Henry John Temple third Viscount Palmerston statesman 1784 Odilon Redon

Anniversaries Births: Sir Christopher Wren, mathematician and architect, 1632; Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, statesman, 1784; Odilon Redon, painter and lithographer, 1840; Jean-Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud, poet, 1854; Bela Lugosi (Bela Lugosi Blasko), actor, 1884; Anna Neagle (Marjorie Robertson), actress, 1904. Deaths: Thomas Linacre, scholar and physician, 1524; Grace Darling, heroine at the wreck of the Forfarshire, 1842; Bud Flanagan (Robert Winthrop), "Crazy Gang" comedian, 1968; Sir John Anthony Quayle, actor, 1989. On this day: the coronation of George I took place, 1714; the Sunday Times was first published, 1822; Aristotle Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy, 1968; the Sydney Opera House was opened to the public, 1973. The creation of a policy on the environment required a decision by, and action such as the promulgation of a directive by, the organs of the Community. Article 130r set out the aims which Community policy on the environment should be designed to achieve; it did not of itself place any obligation on any organ of a national government.

That was the standard adopted as government policy in a white paper of 1990, "This Common Inheritance".The Secretary of State was said to be under a duty to adopt what was called the "precautionary principle" in order to comply with European Community law. On this point, the applicants also sought to refer the case to the European Court of Justice. They relied on article 130r of the Treaty of Rome, as amended by the Maastricht Treaty, and incorporated into English law by the European Communities Act 1972, as amended by the 1993 Act.In his Lordship's judgment, the court could resolve the issue without referring it to Europe. The applicants argued that he had set the threshold too high, and if there was evidence of a possible risk he was under a duty to use his powers to obviate it. .The applicants' other expert, Professor Scott Davies, concluded:I do not believe that a causal relationship has yet been established Nevertheless. that such exposures may increase the risk of childhood leukaemia cannot be dismissed, given the current evidence.The Secretary of State's case was that this was insufficient to impose on him a duty to act.

Dennis, a former member of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), who said:The totality of the scientific evidence points to the weak possibility that prolonged exposure to power frequency magnetic fields, while not a direct causal factor in inducing human leukaemias, may enhance the risks of these cancers, especially in young children. But the expert evidence adduced in the Divisional Court did not establish there was such a risk The furthest it went was as stated by Dr J A. Section 29 empowered him to make regulations to this end.The applicants argued that the Secretary of State should take a "precautionary view" of the risk from EMFs and should lay down regulations to control it.Michael Beloff QC and Graham Read (Leigh, Day & Co) for the applicants; Stephen Richards and Ian Burnett (Treasury Solicitor) for the Secretary of State; Alan Griffiths (Freshfields) for National Grid plc.Sir Iain Glidewell said it was clear that if there was a risk of personal injury or damage to property arising from the transmission of electricity through the new cables, the Secretary of State was under a duty to protect the public from that risk by making appropriate regulations. It was alleged that the non-ionising radiation emitted from these cables, well in excess of the average domestic level, would expose them to a risk of developing leukaemia.Section 3(3) of the 1989 Act imposed on the Secretary of State a duty to exercise his functions under the Act in the manner best calculated "(d) to protect the public from dangers arising from the generation, transmission or supply of electricity". This was recognised at the time by the Oxford University when it conferred the honorary degree of DSc on him and will never be forgotten by the college which was only too happy to elect him as a Honorary Fellow.. Regina v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, ex parte Duddridge and others; Court of Appeal (Lord Justice Kennedy, Lord Justice Peter Gibson and Sir Iain Glidewell) 6 October 1995 The unproven possibility that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from high- voltage cables forming part of the national grid might increase the risk of children in the locality developing leukaemia was not enough to impose on the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry an obligation, either under domestic or European law, to issue regulations limiting such EMFs. The Court of Appeal refused an application for leave to appeal against the decision of the Queen's Bench Divisional Court, on 3 October 1994, refusing an application for judicial review of the Secretary of State's decision not to issue regulations limiting EMFs from cables laid by National Grid plc or other licence-holders under the Electricity Act 1989.The application was brought on behalf of three children, Lloyd Duddridge, Danielle Bye and Naomi Holliday, who lived in South Woodford near where National Grid plc were laying a new high-voltage underground cable.

The operation to secure business support for the Industrial Fund was kept in being to raise the funds needed to create St Catherine's College. Wilson not only recruited Sir Hugh Beaver, then chairman of the CBI, but with his rare qualification of scientist and industrialist, was able to open the door to a score of the leading British companies. It is no exaggeration to say that his advice and support were crucial to the foundation of St Catherine's. As a result of a chance meeting in 1957 on the SS Queen Mary, crossing to New York, Wilson became interested in the plan for the foundation of a new college at Oxford with a commitment to offer half its places in science and mathematics His interest as always was accompanied by practical help. Paul Girolami's obituary of Sir Alan Wilson [9 October] rightly draws attention to his combination of distinction in both the academic and industrial worlds, and cites the example of the Industrial Fund for Education, writes Lord Bullock I would like to add a second example.

And that was the end of Griffiths's political career.In the October 1974 general election, the second of the year, the Brightside party adopted in Griffiths's place the charming and ebullient left-winger Joan Maynard, who cheerfully took it in her stride that she was nicknamed "Stalin's Grandmother". Joan Maynard got 18,108 votes and retained the seat for Labour. Griffiths, standing as an Independent Labour candidate, polled 10,182 votes After that defeat he joined the Social Democratic Party. His career was one of those might-have-beens.Tam DalyellEdward Griffiths, industrial chemist, politician: born Flintshire 7 March 1929; MP (Labour) for Sheffield Brightside 1968-74; married 1954 Ella Griffiths (one son, one daughter); died 18 October 1995..