§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 April 1999,Official Report, columns 301–02, what are the (a) number and (b) percentage of existing field test sites for genetically modified crops which have been subject to (i) pre-planting environmental audit and (ii) sub-surface impact analysis. [81946]
§ Mr. MeacherAll applications for consent to release a genetically modified plant must include a pre-planting environmental audit including details of the release site ecosystem including climate and fauna, details of any sexually compatible wild relatives or cultivated plant species present and the proximity of officially recognised biotopes or protected areas. All 373 existing field test sites for genetically modified crops have been subject to such an audit. There is no requirement for applicants to include a sub-surface impact analysis. The farm-scale evaluations will however include a sub-surface impact analysis as detailed in my earlier answer.