HC Deb 26 February 1999 vol 326 cc480-1W
Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the applications he has received for commercial planting of genetically modified crops since 1 May 1997. [72207]

Mr. Meacher

Applications for commercial planting of genetically modified crops need to be submitted to a Member State acting as a competent authority under Directive 90/220/EEC. The UK has not directly received any such applications. It has received dossiers forwarded from other competent authorities for an opinion on whether approval should be granted, as follows:

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by(a) title, (b) name of author and (c) date of receipt the advice that he has received about the (1) environmental and (2) health consequences of the (i) growth and (ii) sale of genetically modified crops in the United Kingdom; and if he will publish that advice. [73511]

Mr. Meacher

The Secretary of State is advised on the environmental and health consequences of genetically modified crops by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). The Committee publishes an annual report which is available in the Library. DETR and the Committee have also produced a series of guidance notes and DETR has produced a number of research reports to inform ACRE's advice. These are all published and are listed in the annual reports.

The Deliberate Release legislation requires the Secretary of State to seek advice from ACRE on all consent applications. ACRE advise as to whether or not a consent should be granted and the conditions which should be attached to a consent. As the legislation requires certain information to be made available to the public, DETR maintains a public register of all consent applications and the advice on them from ACRE.

English Nature has also published advice calling for the regulatory process to include an assessment of the risks to wildlife in its "Position Statement on Genetically Modified Organisms", which is also available in the Library.