§ 4. Mr. Chris Mullin (Sunderland, South)What assessment he has made of (a) the quality and (b) the 1108 independence of the advice the Government are receiving on genetically modified foods; and if he will make a statement. [75359]
§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Dr. Jack Cunningham)Independent expert committees are in place to ensure that the Government receive the best possible scientific advice on those issues.
§ Mr. MullinMy right hon. Friend will be aware that there is an unhappy tradition of senior civil servants, on retirement, taking up posts with the very commercial interests on whose activities they were supposed to be advising the Government impartially. The example of Sir Walter Marshall and nuclear power springs to mind, but I expect that one could think of others. How confident is my right hon. Friend that some of those who are advising the Government on GM foods will not end up working for the very vested interests whose activities they are supposed to be impartially overseeing?
§ Dr. CunninghamI was about to say that my hon. Friend's crystal ball was at least as good as mine, but, on reflection, history shows that his is much better than mine, because he has been able to see some things long before the rest of us. Of course, anyone retiring from the Government service has to abide by the rules laid down by the Cabinet Secretary. I assure my hon. Friend that that will be done in future.
My hon. Friend's question gives me the opportunity to lay another ghost to rest. It is not true that the Government have reached or are seeking any secret deal with the industries on genetically modified foods or crops.
§ Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset)The right hon. Gentleman will know that the Conservative party has been keen for safe genetically modified foods to be allowed to be grown in the United Kingdom, but only after the proper tests have been carried out. Are the Government ready to admit that they made a monumental error in trying to go against the advice of an environmental committee to have a three-year moratorium on putting in commercial crops? Surely ignoring such advice is undermining people's trust in the Government and in science.
§ Dr. CunninghamThe hon. Gentleman is confused. The Government have not licensed any crops for commercial development in this country. The only genetically modified foods that are on sale in this country were licensed by the Government of which he was a supporter. The real policy is that we are moving to the farm and field testing of genetically modified crops. Only when we are satisfied with those tests will we move to the next stage.
§ Mr. Paul Tyler (North Cornwall)I understand that a written answer is to be given this afternoon on the labelling of genetically modified foods. Did the Minister see the comments on Monday last week of Professor Philip James of the Rowett research institute to the Select Committee on Science and Technology that the issue of labelling would prove to be irrelevant because it was increasingly difficult to guarantee the segregation of genetically modified ingredients? Would the Minister care to comment?
§ Dr. CunninghamI do not agree with Professor James on that issue. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and 1109 Food has published a list of companies able to provide non-genetically modified products. As Sainsbury's and others have made clear today, supermarkets are moving to ensure that their own brand products do not contain genetically modified ingredients. The Government are determined to press ahead with clear labelling of food products so that the consumer has a real choice, in contrast with the policy of the previous Government, who steadfastly refused to label foods to help the consumer in that way.