HL Deb 27 January 1998 vol 585 cc18-20WA
Baroness Anelay of St. Johns

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which applications for licences to grow genetically modified crops are awaiting the decision of the Minister of Agriculture. (HL2161)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman)

Consents for the release of genetically modified crops in England are granted by the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, acting jointly. Consents for releases of genetically modified crops in Scotland or Wales are granted by the Secretaries of State for Scotland or Wales, as appropriate. All releases require the agreement of the Health and Safety Executive. Applications to place genetically modified crops on the market in the European Community are reviewed by the Competent Authorities of all Member States before a decision is made on the granting of consents.

To date, 127 consents have been granted since the legislation came into force on 1 March 1993.

There are currently eleven applications for experimental releases of GM crops under review and awaiting decisions. These applications are:

Applicant Crop Genetic Modification
Monsanto Sugar beet hybrids Herbicide tolerance
(3 applications)
Novartis Sugar beet Herbicide tolerance
Sharpes International Sugar beet Herbicide tolerance
John Innes Centre Spring barley Altered baking
characteristics
John K. King and Sons Oilseed rape Altered oil content
(2 applications)
Pioneer Genetique Oilseed rape Herbicide tolerance
Plant Genetics Systems Oilseed rape Male sterility, fertility
restorer, herbicide tolerance
Monsanto Oilseed rape Herbicide tolerance

There are also currently five marketing applications under review by the UK Competent Authority in accordance with the Council Directive 90/220/EEC on the release of genetically modified organisms into the Environment. These applications are:

Applicant Crop Genetic Modification
Monsanto Fodder Beet Herbicide Tolerance
Monsanto Cotton Herbicide Tolerance
Monsanto Cotton Insect Resistance
Monsanto Maize Herbicide Tolerance
Zeneca Tomatoes Delayed Ripening

Baroness Anelay of St. Johns

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) what scientific reviews have been set up since 1 May 1997 to investigate the safety of genetically modified crops; and
  2. (b) what research projects have been commissioned since 1 May 1997 to determine consumer views of genetically modified crops. [HL215]

Baroness Hayman

The safety of all proposed experimental releases and marketing of genetically modified organisms, including crops, is reviewed on a case-by-case basis in making decisions on the granting of consents. Since 1 May, nine consents have been granted for the experimental release of genetically modified crops and a further 11 applications are under review. Five applications to place genetically modified crops on the European Community market are also under review. Also, the European Commission recently asked its expert scientific committees to undertake a safety review of six marketing applications which have already been reviewed by Member States under Council Directive 90/220/EEC on the release of genetically modified organisms into the environment.

Since 1 May, seven new research projects have been initiated to support the risk assessment and decision making for the granting of consents. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions have let the following research contracts:

  • Environmental impact of disease resistance genes in genetically modified sugar beet;
    • WA 20
  • Review of transformation methods for genetically modified plants;
  • Environmental impact of genetically modified plants in containment;
  • Environmental monitoring of large scale releases of genetically modified crops;
  • Environmental impact of novel compounds in genetically modified plants.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have let the following contracts:

  • Local and regional scale movement of an oilseed rape transgene;
  • Risk assessment of transgene movement.

A number of organisations have commissioned research on consumer attitudes since 1 May, including the interactive "Future Foods?" exhibition at the Science Museum, which is partly funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.