§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many laboratories have been registered as being in containment category 4; and how many projects using genetically modified organisms at containment level 4 have been approved in the last five years.
§ Mr. ForthEighteen centres with category 4 containment facilities are registered as having notified the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety (Dangerous Pathogens) Regulations 1981.
No work involving the use of genetically modified organisms at level 4 containment has been notified under the Genetic Manipulation Regulations 1989.
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§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many industrial large-scale plants using genetically modified organisms have been notified to the Health and Safety Executive in the last 10 years; and how many were GILSP containment category 1, 2 or 3.
§ Mr. ForthNotification of the large-scale use of genetically modified organisms was only made mandatory in 1989. Since 1989, 38 centres have notified the Health and Safety Executive of work with genetically modified organisms classified as requiring good large-scale practice. No distinction is made between industrial and non-industrial large scale notifications.
Since 1989, one centre has notified work in large scale categories 1 to 3.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many laboratories have been registered as being in contain-ment category 3; and how many projects using genetically modified organisms at containment level 3 have been approved in the last five years.
§ Mr. ForthThere is no requirement in United Kingdom law to notify containment level 3 facilities for naturally occurring pathogens.
Since 1989, three projects have been notified to the Health and Safety Executive for work with genetically modified organisms at level 3 containment.