§ Mr. CrausbyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will report on his consideration of a moratorium on commercial licences for genetically modified crops. [68619]
§ Mr. MeacherA number of organisations have called for a moratorium on the commercial growing of genetically modified crops. There are at present no genetically modified crops which have received all the necessary approvals to be grown commercially in Britain. The announcement I made on 21 October 1998 to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities set out a programme of managed development of herbicide tolerant genetically modified crops with additional safeguards to ensure full protection of the environment. The situation will be kept under review.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 1998,Official Report, column 629, when he expects the paper on the possible wider implications of genetically modified crops to be made publicly available. [68776]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 2 February 1999]: I expect this discussion paper which was prepared by the Secretariat to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) to be made available via ACRE's page on my Department's website as soon as possible.