HC Deb 11 February 1980 vol 978 c462W
Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1)whether, following the recommendations of the joint Royal Society, Advisory Board for Research Councils and Advisory Council of Applied Research and Development report, under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Spinks, he will take steps to ensure that the United Kingdom obtains the maximum return from the EEC's proposed research and development programme in biotechnology;

(2) whether, following the recommendations of the Spinks report, he will encourage the EEC to adopt fiscal regulations which will allow the use of agricultural feedstocks for industrial biotechnology;

(3) whether he will take steps to ensure that all member States of the EEC support any change in the common agricultural policy designed to ensure that this policy does not threaten the application and development of industrial biotechnology.

Sir Ian Gilmour

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 6 February—[Vol. 978, c. 244]. The Government will consider the report's recommendations when it is received.