§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date the ethical and welfare review of bio-technology and the patenting of animals began; and if she will make a statement.[13678]
§ Mr. BattleA report produced in 1995 by a committee chaired by Professor Michael Banner and appointed by the then Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food produced a report which considered the ethical implications of emerging technologies in the breeding of farm animals. The committee's review included the question of patenting genetically modified animals.
The DTI is in the process of consulting widely on the question of animal patenting in the context of the proposed directive for the protection of bio-technological inventions.