§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of public attitudes towards the commercial growing of genetically modified crops; and if she will make a statement. [54348]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 7 May 2002]: I asked the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) to advise on how best to take forward a public debate on GM issues including GM crops. They provided their advice on 26 April and we are now considering their proposals.
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§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many GM crop trials are being carried out in each nation and region of the UK; [58131]
(2) which GM crops are being field-tested in each nation and region of the UK. [58130]
§ Mr. MeacherThe following tables set out the types of GM crops, and number of field trials currently being carried out, by nation and county. The first table includes the 100 UK sites in the 2001–02 round of the Farm Scale Evaluations (33 maize, 16 beet, 26 spring sown oilseed rape, 25 winter sown oilseed rape). The sites for the final round of winter sown oilseed rape will be announced later this year. The second table shows the small scale field trials carried out by companies developing GM crops.
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Farm scale evaluation sites Number/county Crop Number of sites England Cambridgeshire Beet 1 Cheshire Maize 1 Winter oilseed rape 1 City of Sunderland Spring oilseed rape 1 Cumbria Beet 1 Dorset Maize 8 Spring oilseed rape 2 Winter oilseed rape 2 Durham Maize 1 Spring oilseed rape 2 Winter oilseed rape 3 East Riding of Yorkshire Maize 1 Spring oilseed rape 4 Winter oilseed rape 2 Essex Maize 2 Gloucestershire Beet 2 Maize 1 Spring oilseed rape 2 Winter oilseed rape 2 Herefordshire Maize 2 Winter oilseed rape 1 Hertfordshire Spring oilseed rape 1 Winter oilseed rape 1 Kent Maize 1 Winter oilseed rape 1 Leeds Maize 1 Leicestershire Spring oilseed rape 1 Lincolnshire Beet 2 Maize 4 Spring oilseed rape 3 Winter oilseed rape 5 Norfolk Beet 6 Maize 4 Spring oilseed rape 2 Winter oilseed rape 3 North Yorkshire Beet 1 Nottinghamshire Spring oilseed rape 1 Oxfordshire Maize 1 Winter oilseed rape 1 Telford and Wrekin Maize 1 Spring oilseed rape 1 Shropshire Maize 2 Spring oilseed rape 2 Winter oilseed rape 2 South Gloucestershire Beet 1 Suffolk Beet 1 Warrington Maize 1 Warwickshire Spring oilseed rape 1 Winter oilseed rape 1 Wokingham Maize 1 Worcestershire Beet 1 Maize 1
Farm scale evaluation sites Nation/county Crop Number of sites Scotland Aberdeenshire Spring oilseed rape 2 Winter oilseed rape 3 Fife Spring oilseed rape 1 Ross-shire Winter oilseed rape 1
Small-scale research field trails Nation/county Crop Number of sites England Berkshire Wheat 1 Cambridgeshire Beet 1 Potato 1 Winter oilseed rape 4 Essex Winter oilseed rape 1 Gloucestershire Winter oilseed rape 1 Hertfordshire Wheat 2 Winter oilseed rape 2 Lincolnshire Winter oilseed rape 1 Norfolk Barley 1 Beet 1 Winter oilseed rape 1 Nottinghamshire Winter oilseed rape 1 Suffolk Beet 2 Winter oilseed rape 1 Scotland Aberdeenshire Winter oilseed rape 3 Dundee Potato 1
§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings she has had with the Scottish Executive Department of Rural Affairs on the subject of GM crops; and if she will make a statement. [58129]
§ Mr. MeacherNeither the Secretary of State nor I have had any recent meetings with the Scottish Executive on this subject. However, our officials meet frequently to discuss these issues.
§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive regarding plans to change the procedure for approval of GM foods and seeds. [58545]
§ Mr. MeacherNeither my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, nor I have had any recent meetings with the Scottish Executive on this subject. However, our officials meet periodically to discuss changes proposed by the European Commission to the legislation governing the approval of GM food and seeds.