§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Prime Minister if he has discussed with representatives of the biotechnology industry the introduction of a voluntary three-year halt in the planting of herbicide-tolerant genetically modified crops. [77681]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 19 March 1999]: Government officials have been discussing with representatives of the biotechnology industry their proposals for the introduction of genetically modified crops for commercial growing by farmers once all relevant approvals have been granted. Officials have been seeking to obtain assurances from the biotechnology industry that the commercial introduction will be restrained until results from the farm scale evaluations indicate that commercial activity may take place in accordance with the concept of managed development as set out by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment in his statement to the House of Lords Select Committee on EC Regulation of Genetic Modification in Agriculture on 21 October 1998.
The farm scale evaluations are to allow careful studies of the effects of larger scale cultivation of these crops on farmland wildlife, as compared to conventional crops. No specific timescale for commercial introduction has been agreed. We will move to allow cultivation only when we are satisfied that we have enough information about the environmental impacts to be able to make a sound decision.