HC Deb 22 June 1998 vol 314 cc419-20W
Mr. Alan Simpson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the meetings his Department has held with(a) Monsanto, (b) AgrEvo, (c) Novartis, (d) Zeneca and (e) other representatives of the biotechnology industry relating to biotechnology. [46211]

Mr. Rooker

Neither my colleagues nor I have held any meeting with companies from the biotechnology industry since 1 May 1997. In addition to the meetings detailed in my reply to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 31 March 1998,Official Report, columns 505–08, officials have met representatives of biotechnology companies on the occasions listed.

Date Company
1997
21 May Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. USA
28 May Novartis
4 June CPB Twyford
30 June Sharpes/KWS
11 July Plant Breeding Institute
18 July AgrEvo
8 October Nickerson BIOCEM
21 October Plant Breeding Institute, Zeneca, Nickerson BIOCEM and Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Ltd.
31 October Monsanto
1998
5 January Plant Genitic Systems
14 January AgrEvo, Cynamid, Monsanto and Novartis
15 January CPB Twyford
11 February Advanta
16 February Zeneca
11 March AgrEvo, Cynamid, Monsanto and Novartis
24 March Monsanto
6 May Zeneca
15 May Monsanto, AgrEvo and other biotechnology companies
20 May Plant Genetic Systems
22 May Monsanto, AgrEvo and other biotechnology companies
9 June AgrEvo, Cynamid and Monsanto
17 June Monsanto, AgrEvo and other biotechnology companies

In addition, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate meets regularly with representatives of pharmaceutical companies as part of its responsibilities for the authorisation of veterinary medicines in the UK.