§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 24 May 1999,Official Report, column 39, if he will provide further details in respect of the questions asked. [85659]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamNo.
§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criteria were used by the Biotechnology Presentation Group in identifying an independent scientist to appear on the "Today" programme on 10 May to comment on the Christian Aid/Action Aid report on GM foods in the third world. [85929]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamIn its report on 12 May, the Science and Technology Select Committee of this House called for a more informed public debate on Genetic Modification and said that the Government had a role to play in leading that debate. The Government also believe it important that the public hears the views of scientists who are experts on genetic modification.
§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the scientific sources of his advice on the benefits of biotechnology, indicating those he will make available to hon. Members. [85933]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamThe Government are advised by experts who sit on our advisory committees. We also pay careful attention to the views of other experts. The potential benefits of biotechnology were most recently described in the report of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics published on 27 May.
§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons the briefing notes on biodiversity, herbicide resistance and cross pollination in connection with GMOs prepared for the Government's Biotechnology Presentation Group were inadequate. [85932]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamThe briefing notes were not sufficiently informative.
§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the minutes of all meetings of the Biotechnology Presentation Group. [86119]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamThe minutes of inter-Ministerial meetings are not normally published. Previous Governments followed the same practice.
§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what amendments the Biotechnology Presentation Group made in the report he published on the Health Implications of genetically modified foods by the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser; and if he will publish a list of all the amendments stating the reasons for them; [86116]
(2) if the authors of the report he published on the Health Implications of genetically modified foods had been asked to redraft their report by the Biotechnology Presentation Group; how many drafts the report went through prior to publication; and if he will publish the original draft. [86117]
291W
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamAfter discussing an initial draft with Ministers, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser revised the report in order to ensure that it was more easily comprehensible for the lay reader and to include specific recommendations for action. The only amendment to the report made by the Biotechnology Presentation Group was to suggest an expansion of the heading before paragraph 41.
§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what central rebuttals strategy had been established for use after his oral statement on biotechnology of 21 May 1999,Official Report, columns 1371–73. [86127]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamI refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) on 26 May 1999,Official Report, column 153.
§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if the new advisory committees he announced in his oral statement on biotechnology of 21 May 1999,Official Report, columns 1371–73 will sit in public. [86133]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamThe new advisory committees will abide by the guidelines on transparency contained in paragraph 51 of the Report of the Review of the Regulatory Framework, published on 21 May, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.