§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the objectives of the forthcoming consultation exercise on genetically-modified organisms; and if it will include consultation about(a) genetically modified organisms in human food 1064W products, (b) genetically modified organisms in animal foodstuffs and (c) labelling of products derived from genetically modified organisms. [53386]
§ Mr. BattleI have been asked to reply.
The public consultation exercise will seek the views of the general public on advances in the biosciences, including genetic modification. It will not initially focus on any specific area such as health or food, but will ask for views on the information available on genetics and its applications. We will seek to explore the way that people use this information to inform their judgments relating to risk and trust. For example, we expect to explore the role of Government, industry and others in the public perception of the biosciences and seek views on how effective current mechanisms are.