§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) which members of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment receive a grant from(a) the National Environment Research Council and (b) a private company; and in the latter case if he will list the companies and the size of grants; [32499]
(2) if he will list the members of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment with the name of their present employer; and whether they receive any form of research grant from any Department. [32500]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe current membership of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment comprises:
- Professor J. Beringer: University of Bristol
- Professor E. M. Cooke: Public Health Laboratory Service
- Dr. P. Dale: Institute of Plant Science Research
- Dr. A. Garland: Glaxo-Wellcome plc
- Dr. C. Gliddon: University of Wales
- Dr. A. Gray: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology
- Ms J. Hill: Green Alliance
- Dr. J. Kinderlerer: University of Sheffield
- Mr. J. McLeod: National Institute of Agricultural Botany
- Professor D. Onions: University of Glasgow Veterinary School
- Professor N. Poole: Zeneca Ltd.
- Dr. D. Robinson: Scottish Crop Research Institute
Members are not required to provide comprehensive information on sources of funds for research, and such information is not therefore held by my Department. However, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, the Scottish Crop Research Institute, and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology all currently hold research contracts from my Department. Members are required to disclose 330W any personal or professional interest, or any interest of the organisation which employs them before review of specific applications by the committee.
§ Mr. JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if members of the public are allowed to attend committee meetings of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. [32502]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordMembers of the public are not allowed to attend meetings of the committee. They may make written submissions to the committee.
§ Mr. JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place the annual reports of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment for the last five years in the Library. [32496]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe first annual report of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment was published last year and it was placed in the Library.
§ Mr. JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investigations has taken place on the decision by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment to allow the testing of genetically modified scorpion venom virus in open fields. [32497]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe confined release of a genetically modified scorpion venom virus was the subject of a consent issued by the Secretary of State to the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology in April 1994, following advice received from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment.
Following the receipt of communications from some members of the public, the proposed release was reviewed for a second time by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, and its advice was that the consent should be maintained.
During the course of the release, the site was visited by specialist inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive, whose report confirmed that the release was being carried out in accordance with the terms and conditions of the issued consent. A satisfactory report of the release has been submitted by IVEM to the Secretary of State.