HC Deb 27 July 1999 vol 336 cc327-30W
Mr. Alan Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the controls on the marketing of genetically modified crops provided for in Part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are applied in the absence of a marketing consent issued thereunder. [85951]

Mr. Meacher

The commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) crops requires specific consents to be issued at the Community level under Directive 90/220/EEC. All member states have an input into this decision-making process. Once an approval has been issued, it may be used throughout the Community, provided any specific conditions on use, or on types of environment and geographical areas for release are complied with.

The controls on the marketing of GM crops in the UK provided for in Part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 would apply to a consent issued by another member state in the same way as they would to a consent issued by the UK Competent Authority.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the RSPB's recommendations on the plantation of genetically modified crops. [87937]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 1 July 1999]: My Department takes very seriously the concerns of The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds regarding the commercial planing of genetically modified crops and has actively sought the advice and involvement of RSPB scientists to take forward recent initiatives to address biodiversity issues.

The RSPB have raised the concern that herbicide tolerant crops will lead to a rise in the use of broad-spectrum herbicides on fields, and that this in turn could decrease biodiversity in the fields and reduce food available to birds. My Department is spending £3.3 million on the 'farm-scale evaluation' research programme to study the effect of the management of GM crops on the abundance and diversity of farmland wildlife. This research programme began earlier this year and will last at least until 2002. The research is being overseen by a scientific steering committee that will ensure the research is scientifically robust. A scientist from the RSPB is present on this committee.

The RSPB have also raised the concern that the introduction of insect resistant crops could have an unacceptable impact on biodiversity. Again my Department takes these concerns very seriously. In October last year I announced that the industry had agreed not to introduce insect resistant GM crops into commercial agriculture in Britain for three years. Research is in place to ensure that risks posed by these crops to the environment are thoroughly investigated.

The RSPB note the possibility of GM crops cross-pollinating with wild relatives. Each application for the release of genetically modified crop is supported by a risk assessment, which is evaluated by Government experts and independent scientists on the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). ACRE consider in detail the potential for each GM crop to cross-pollinate with wild relatives and a GM crop will be granted consent only if ACRE are satisfied that the risks presented are negligible.

The RSPB hold a wider concern that the introduction of genetically modified crops could lead to landscape changes and/or changes in crop rotations. This potential wider impact of the commercial use of GM crops has been discussed in the recently published paper "The Commercial use of GM crops in the UK: the potential wider impact on farmland wildlife", published by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). Following publication of this report the remit of ACRE has been widened with the setting up of a sub-group to discuss and advise on the issues raised. This includes representatives of English Nature and the RSPB. The sub-group will review the risk assessment of GMOs to include a greater consideration of the wider biodiversity impacts which have been made possible via the revision of directive 90/220/EEC on the release to the environment of genetically modified organisms.

We agree with concerns expressed about the wider impacts on wildlife of the large scale introduction of GM crops. Until GM crops are planted on a larger scale, it is difficult to assess accurately all the effects which they may have on biodiversity. This process must be managed carefully. The Government have therefore reached agreement with the industry on a voluntary code of practice which will strictly limit the first farm-scale plantings and ensure that we are able to monitor any effects on the environment and, in particular, on populations of farmland wildlife and only if no damage has been found to the environment. Full-scale commercial planting will not take place until the results have been carefully assessed. If these results show that particular genetically modified crops harm the environment, we have the powers to withdraw their approvals for commercial planting and we will use them.

Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 5 July 1999,Official Report, column 367, (1) if he will ensure that no further consents are issued which allow the products of a genetically modified crop trial to enter the food chain; and if he will take steps to establish the fate of the products of genetically modified crop trials where consents were given for them to enter the food chain; [91251]

(2) which company or companies were given consents to use the products of genetically modified crop trials as animal feed in (a) August 1994 and March 1997 in respect of genetically modified oil seed rape and (b) April 1996 in respect of genetically modified maize; what were the locations of these trials; and what information concerning these trials and the consents given to use their products as animal feed was made available to hon. Members and the public, prior to the crops being grown. [91252]

Mr. Meacher

No genetically modified (GM) crops are currently being grown for food, feed or processing in the United Kingdom. Any future applications for material of a GM Crop trial to be used as food or feed would be subject to a scientific assessment of risk carried out on a case-by-case basis.

The two consents in respect of GM oil seed rape mentioned in my earlier reply had approval for the meal from the trial crop to be used as feed, but the material was not in fact used in this way and did not therefore enter the feed chain. Both consents were issued to Plant Genetic Systems NV and the trials took place at NIAB, Cambridge in 1994–95 and at Inkwell, Bedfordshire in 1997–98.

The GM maize referred to in my earlier answer has Europe-wide approval under Part C of Council Directive 90/220/EEC for agricultural use leading to animal consumption. The consent for the trial was issued to Sharpes International Seeds Ltd. covering six sites: Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire; NIAB, Cambridgeshire, Dartington, Devon; CWS/Gainseed, Cheshire; NIAB, Winchester, Hampshire; and Great Dunmow, Essex. Of these, only material from the site in Cheshire was ensiled to use as animal feed.

All information on releases of GM crops, apart from that considered commercially confidential as set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 5 May 1999, Official Report, column 390, is available to the public on request.