§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy not to grant approval for any GM plant under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 as amended, where such plants contain antibiotic marker genes. [93208]
§ Mr. MeacherAny application to release a genetically modified (GM) plant containing an antibiotic marker gene would be subject to a scientific assessment of risk carried out case-by-case on the basis of an environmental risk assessment. No consent would be given if the antibiotic marker gene in question would be harmful to human health or the environment.
The UK was instrumental in ensuring that the political agreement reached at the June Environment Council provided for the identification and phasing out of antibiotic marker genes which are harmful to human health and the environment.