§ 4. Dr. Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak)What assistance she plans to give to developing countries to enable them to assess the risks and benefits of genetically manipulated organisms. [79106]
§ The Secretary of State for International Development (Clare Short)We will shortly publish a policy statement on genetically modified organisms in developing countries. As my hon. Friend will know, genetic manipulation is a much wider and less precise concept. Our aim is to help to equip developing countries to manage the safe development and use of those technologies and to apply the guidelines for safety in biotechnology provided by the United Nations Environment Programme.
§ Dr. JonesI am glad that my right hon. Friend agrees that biotechnology has the potential to improve the yield and quality of food protection in developing countries. For example, high levels of blindness in India could be dramatically reduced if the corn used in traditional meals included GM corn containing high levels of vitamin A. However, it is also important that Governments have access to high-quality technical information that is independent of commercial considerations, and that is a proper role for overseas aid. It is also important that Governments should be able to reject technologies that they consider to be harmful—for example, the terminator gene. How confident is my right hon. Friend that they will continue to have that power, given the might of the multinational companies, possibly backed up by the World Trade Organisation?
§ Clare ShortI agree with almost all the points that my hon. Friend makes. The technology can bring benefits, but countries need the capacity to understand the pros and cons, to manage the process and diminish the risk. The statement that we are about to publish outlines those 211 concerns and the ways in which we will work with other countries to increase their capacity to manage the technology and make decisions about the use of it.
I also agree that the danger is that major companies will misuse their power to force the technology on to countries without their knowledge, through the import of either seeds or food that is a product of the technology. We need agreement on a biosafety protocol to the convention on biological diversity, which lays down rules on trans-boundary use of GMOs. We are working for that, although we did not get agreement on it at the last talks, as my hon. Friend will know. We must enhance the capacity of developing countries to make decisions, and we need an international convention.
§ Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset)I am sure that the Secretary of State will agree that Britain has an enviable reputation among developing countries for good scientific advice. Will she use her skilled and perhaps robust diplomacy with the three Departments of State currently giving advice on GMOs—the DTI, DETR and MAFF—to obtain a clear statement of the Government's policy on GMOs? It certainly confuses the House and I am sure that it confuses developing nations.
§ Clare ShortThe hon. Gentleman is right to say that when the statement of Government policy was issued the interests of developing countries were not covered. That was a serious omission. The policy statement that we are about to publish will make up for that omission and will adopt the policy that I outlined to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones). It did take a little robust movement in Whitehall to remind other Government Departments of the important interests of developing countries, which is one of the major duties of my Department. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be pleased with the document when it is published shortly.
§ Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome)Does the Secretary of State agree that the interests of American big business, whether Monsanto, the Chiquita corporation or any other, are not synonymous with free trade, leaving aside the social and environmental consequences of what they peddle? Will she ensure that protection is given to developing countries so that they are not forced to take inappropriate imports or technology?
§ Clare ShortI agree with the hon. Gentleman that some multinational companies see free trade as in their interests and others prefer deals with countries that have high tariffs behind which their trade can be protected. Not all such companies promote free trade. We are in an interesting situation in which a majority of the members of the World Trade Organisation are developing countries and, as they start to use their influence, that will change the control and domination of trade issues in the world economy so that it becomes more equitable.
As to genetically modified technologies being pushed on countries that are not in a position to manage them, the answers lie in strengthening those countries' capacity and in securing a biosafety protocol for the convention on biological diversity.
§ Mr. Alan Simpson (Nottingham, South)The Secretary of State will know how many developing countries depend on the developed world's adopting a 212 clear position that defends the right of the developing world to apply the precautionary principle in terms of food health and environmental health. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that, in the negotiations and discussions she has described, the United Kingdom will clearly defend farmers' rights to save seeds and will support proposals from the developing nations to pursue sustainable agriculture, which will in turn prevent ownership of the food chain being transferred from local communities to food multinationals?
§ Clare ShortI have made it clear that we agree absolutely that developing countries need the capacity to manage the technology for themselves and to know what agreements are being made. We require an international convention to ensure that technologies cannot be traded into countries without their knowledge and consent. In addition, we help to fund the international agricultural research bodies that are creating a bank of existing gene technology world wide. A condition of our funding is that there should be no charge for that service, which aims to protect that knowledge and biodiversity for developing countries and to ensure that it is not abused and patented against their interests.