HC Deb 01 March 1999 vol 326 cc508-9W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) on how many occasions(a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Mr. Stan Greenberg of Greenberg Research; [72248]

(2) on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Dave Hill of Bell Pottinger; [72066]

(3) on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Cathy McGlynn of Bell Pottinger. [72059]

Mr. Meale

[holding answer 23 February 1999]I and my officials are in regular contact with representatives of all those with an interest in biotechnology—including environmental groups, consumer groups and biotechnology companies. It is not the normal practice of Governments to give details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

Mr. Stinchcombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations(a) he and (b) his ministers have received on genetically modified organisms and the biotechnology industry from the US Government. [72762]

Mr. Prescott

The Department has received one representation on this subject from the US Government.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the sites in Northavon where genetically modified crops(a) are currently grown and (b) have been grown in the last three years. [73910]

Mr. Meacher

No genetically modified crops are currently grown or have been grown in the last three years in Northavon.

Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require the Health and Safety Executive to institute prosecution proceedings against Zeneca for a breach of the regulations governing the escape into the environment, through the consumption by Zeneca staff, of genetically modified tomatoes and tomato seeds. [73402]

Mr. Meacher

HSE inspectors have sought clarification from Zeneca regarding reports in the national press that members of staff have eaten whole genetically modified tomatoes as part of taste trials. If this had taken place it would have represented a possible breach of environmental safety regulations. This is because tomatoes are a seed bearing fruit and the inadvertent dispersal of seeds from genetically modified tomatoes could have given rise to growth of genetically modified plants in the environment. The concern would have been that seeds would have dispersed through the sewage system, thereby breaching containment requirements.

It has been found that there were major inaccuracies in the reporting. In particular, it would appear that taste trials have been undertaken only using tomato tissues from which all seeds have been removed. Therefore, there would not appear to have been any breach of environmental safety legislation.

The photograph of Zeneca staff eating whole tomatoes, which appeared in one newspaper, was posed for the cameras using non-modified tomatoes.