HC Deb 06 March 1997 vol 291 cc731-2W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for which cancer-causing organism the Health and Safety Executive in 1994 temporarily banned the research which was being conducted by Birmingham university department of caner studies; and if he will place papers relating to the experimentation in the Library. [18996]

Sir Paul Beresford

The work at Birmingham university involved the expression of oncogenes—genes implicated in the cancer process—in adenovirus vectors and oncogenes in retroviral vectors. Following an HSE inspection, two prohibition notices were issued, which required the university to undertake full risk assessments and also to improve the standard of containment. The university subsequently compiled with these notices.

I will shortly place in the Library papers relating to the above work at the university, which are in HSE's possession.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Health and Safety Executive approved and subsequently monitored the experiments conducted by the Oxford university institute of virology at Wytham Woods in 1994; and if he will make a statement. [18991]

Sir Paul Beresford

The Secretary of State for the Environment, acting jointly with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, issued a consent on 12 April 1994 to the institute of virology and environmental microbiology to carry out experiments at the university farm, Wytham, Oxfordshire. The consent was issued in accordance with part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 which require the agreement of the Health and Safety Executive. A copy of the consent was placed on the public register in accordance with the legislation.

The experimental site was inspected by one of Her Majesty's specialist inspectors of biosafety from the Health and Safety Executive in June 1994 and again in September 1995. The inspections covered both human health and safety issues and environmental issues as specified in the consent.