HC Deb 24 May 2000 vol 350 c552W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he plans to introduce to deal with third-party contamination of GM-free seed. [123388]

Mr. Nick Brown

As I made clear to the House in my statement of 18 May 2000,Official Report, column 473–80, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have advised the Government that the possibility that some conventional rapeseed stocks sold to farmers for sowing in 1999 and 2000 may have contained low levels of genetically modified rapeseed presents no risk to human health or the environment. I am placing the advice from ACRE and the FSA in the Library of the House. The Government have also sought the advice of the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) and that advice will also be made public when it is received.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and I have received, and are now considering, legal advice on the complex legal issues raised by this incident including whether any offence has been committed.

My officials are in discussion with the National Farmers Union on the practical and legal implications of the incident for farmers whose crops may have been affected.

My officials have been in contact with the Canadian authorities to obtain more detailed information about the circumstances surrounding this incident. One of my officials is travelling to Canada to follow this up and will report back to me and to the EU Standing Committee on Seeds on 30 May.

I and my officials have been in contact with the Commission and other EU member states affected with a view to taking a common approach to the issues raised by this incident. I have agreed with the French Minister of Agriculture that we should explore urgently the possibility of joint discussions between ourselves, the other member states concerned and the seed company Advanta. I will be following this up when I meet my colleagues at the informal meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers on 29–30 May.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State announced on 17 May 2000, Official Report, column 173W the new measures the Government are taking to ensure seed purity.