§ Mr. Norman Baker (Lewes)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Have you had a request from the Government for a statement on today's Court of Appeal decision, which ruled that the Government have acted unlawfully in allowing a genetic maize trial in Devon to go ahead? The Government admitted in court that they had acted unlawfully in dispensing with statutory legal requirements, which the judges called
a most remarkable and, indeed, regrettable statement".The implication is that the Government will have to reassess the entire seed list process, affecting up to 163 genetically engineered seed trials across the United Kingdom. It is not possible for the Government to do nothing. They must do something in the light of the court ruling. Given the importance of the matter and its environmental sensitivity, have the Government asked to make a statement? If not, they should have done so.
§ Madam SpeakerNo. Had there been a statement, all hon. Members would have known about it before 1 o'clock today. It would have been on the annunciator. The hon. Gentleman's remarks do not contain the germ of a point of order.