HL Deb 24 June 2003 vol 650 cc15-6WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have evaluated evidence that the genetically modified maize, Chardon LL, when fed to chickens, resulted in twice the mortality of chickens fed conventional maize; and if not, what action they propose. [HL2983]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (Lord Whitty)

The Government have evaluated the evidence mentioned. A number of concerns about the safety of Chardon LL, a variety of the GM maize type T25, were raised at the "public hearing" into the proposed addition of Chardon LL onto the UK National List of Seeds. The Government sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) on all the safety issues raised including the results of the study where T25 genetically modified maize was fed to chickens. ACRE consulted the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) on matters related to the use of Chardon LL in animal feed, including the chicken feeding study, and issued their advice to government on 13 December 2002. The full text is available on the Defra web-site at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/advice/advice20.htm. Point 12 of the advice deals specifically with the chicken feeding study. In summary there is nothing in this study to indicate that T25 maize grain poses any more risk to humans or animals than non-GM varieties. In particular no statistically significant difference in mortality rate was observed between chickens fed T25 grain compared to those fed non-GM maize.

I have sent the noble Lord a copy of this advice, and have placed copies in the Library.