§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken since his letter G/CC/P50/19364/95 of 11 September 1995 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow on playing a pro-active role in developing and implementing interactive mechanisms for safety in biotechnology; and if he will make a statement. [34635]
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§ Mr. ClappisonMy Department continues strongly to support a twin track approach to the development of an international framework on biosafety based on the promotion of the United Nations environment programme—UNEP—international technical guidelines for safety in biotechnology and the development of a biosafety protocol to the convention on biological diversity. I am pleased to be able to report that considerable progress has been made.
We welcome the adoption of the UNEP international technical guidelines for safety in biotechnology, first developed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, in Cairo in December 1995 and are now actively promoting their use. As a first step, in September 1995, the UK entered a bilateral arrangement with Argentina to apply the then draft guidelines.
The UK fully supported the decision of the second conference of the parties to the convention on biological diversity, held in Jakarta in November 1995, to develop a biosafety protocol. The protocol will focus on the transboundary movement of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. A draft protocol is to be prepared by the open-ended ad hoc working group established by the conference of the parties. The first meeting will be in Denmark on 22 to 26 July 1996, when I look forward to the UK playing an active and constructive role.