§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 6 February,Official Report, columns 719–20, concerning genetic engineering, if he will list the (a) representatives of the animal feed trade, (b) food manufacturers, (c) retailers and (d) consumer organisations involved in the series of meetings on 7 January. [15635]
§ Mrs. BrowningOn 7 January I met representatives from the National Farmers Union, the Grain and Feed Trade Association, the United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association, the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, Ciba-Geigy, the British Retail Consortium, the Institute of Grocery Distribution, the Food and Drink Federation, the National Association of Master Bakers, ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Safeway, Somerfield, Waitrose, the Consumers Association, the Consumers in Europe Group/National Federation of Consumers Groups, the General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and the National Food Alliance.
A number of other consumer organisations were also invited but were unable to attend.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 6 February,Official Report, column 720, if he will identify the risk associated with the use of Ciba-Geigy's genetically modified maize in an unprocessed form. [15634]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes considered that the presence of an antibiotic resistance marker gene with bacterial regulatory sequences in Ciba-Geigy's GM maize presented a small but finite risk of transfer of antibiotic resistance to bacteria in the rumen or gut of animals fed on the unprocessed material. The committee advised that, if transfer were to take place, it could compromise the use of ampicillin and related antibiotics in clinical and veterinary medicine. The three EC scientific committees discussed 321W the ACNFP's concerns at length before concluding that the risk of transfer occurring was too small to justify banning imports of the GM maize into the Community.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 6 February,Official Report, column 719–20, concerning genetic engineering, if he will list the organisations which participated in the consultation meeting on 22 January. [15633]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe consultation meeting to discuss the aspects of biotechnology relating to agriculture and food production, which was chaired by the Earl of Selborne, was attended by the 38 delegates listed, as well as a small number of Government officials. Several other organisations, including the Food and Drink Federation and the National Consumer Council, were also invited but unable to attend.
Organisations 1. Mr. G. Pykett Confederation of British Industries 2. Professor R. Righelato BRFI 3. Mrs. J. Brander National Council of Women of Great Britain 4. Ms C. Brown Institute of Grocery Distribution 5. Mrs. J. Nunn British Retail Consortium 6. Ms S. Davis Consumer's Association 7. Mr. P Warburlton Natural Law Party 8. Mrs. H. Millar ACNFP/University of Edinburgh 9. Miss G. Asbury Consumers in Europe Group 10. Professor D. Burke Chair, ACNFP 11. Mr. J. Godfrey Consumer Panel 12. Dr. G. Schofield Unilever 13. Professor N. Poole Zeneca 14. Professor J. Durrant Science Museum 15. Professor R. Hull John Innes Centre 16. Professor B. Moseley ACNFP/Consultant 17. Dr. V. Barber National Farmers' Union 18. Dr. C. Rawlinson Home Grown Cereals Authority 19. Mrs. M. Charrington Horticulture Development Council 20. Professor D. Grierson Nottingham University 21. Dr. E. Dart Zeneca Seeds 22. Mr. R. Dyer British Agro-Chemicals Association 23. Mr. R. Turner British Society for Plant Breeders 24. Ms J. D'Silva Compassion in World Farming 25. Mrs. J. MacArthur Clark Farm Animal Welfare Council 26. Mr. D. Shapiro Nuffield Council on Bioethics 27. Mrs. H. Browning Organic farmer 28. Professor B. Miflin IACR 29. Mr. P Lake United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association 30. Professor J. Beringer Chair, ACRE 31. Dr. M. Rutter VMD 32. Dr. G Marshall Scottish Agricultural College 33. Dr. J. Fisher British Crop Protection Council 34. Dr. S. Mayer Greenpeace 35. Professor A. Malcolm Institute of Food Research 36. Professor G. Bulfield Roslin Research Institute 37. Dr. D. Parr Greenpeace 38. Mr. R. Maynard Friends of the Earth