§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 12 May 1999,Official Report, column 151, on genetically-modified crops, how much money the Government will spend in total on (a) funding and (b) subsidising (i) farm-scale evaluations and (ii) other trial sites for genetically-modified crops in 1999; and how much money has been allocated for the same purposes in 2000. [85272]
§ Mr. MeacherThe total cost to Government of funding ecological studies as part of the farm scale evaluations in 1999–2000 is £233,000, this includes all the farms, not just the one near Swindon. The expected figure for 2000–01 is £702,000. There is no subsidy. The industry grouping SCIMAC is covering the whole cost of growing the crops for the farm scale evaluations. SCIMAC are providing the GM seeds for the paired comparisons of GM and non GM crops, and funding their growing and management on the farm and the disposal of the produce.
216WThe Government are not spending any public money on the funding or subsidising of other trial sites of genetically modified crops in either year.