§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the full dossier submitted in relation to the Bt11 sweetcorn application. [144699]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe application for authorisation of Bt 11 sweet maize as a novel food was made to the Netherlands in 1999, under Regulation (EC) No. 258/97. A further European Commission Regulation, Commission Regulation 1852/2001, lays down detailed rules on the making of information relating to such applications available to the public. These rules are concerned with striking the right balance as between the protection of information submitted by applicants and the public interest in the disclosure of that information. They provide for the Commission to publish a summary of the dossier on Bt11 sweet maize and the initial assessment of that dossier by the member state to which the application was made. It is not, therefore, for the United Kingdom authority to publish such information.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the requirements for a post approval safety monitoring plan specified in the new food and feed regulations for GM foods will be applied to Bt11 sweetcorn. [144700]
995W
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonRegulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed comes into effect on 18 April 2004. This regulation does not impose a requirement for the post marketing monitoring of all genetically modified foods, although monitoring may be required in specific cases based on the outcome of the risk assessment. The authorisation of Btll sweetcorn is currently being considered under the novel food legislation (regulation 258/97) and does not include a requirement for post-market monitoring.