§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his assessment is of the consequences of a ban for the time being on the placing of genetically modified seed varieties on the National Seed List. [87022]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 16 June 1999]The purpose of the National List system is to establish that varieties of agricultural seeds, which are proposed for addition to the List, are distinct, uniform and stable as well as showing an improvement in agronomic performance over varieties already on the List.
The Government's policy is not to accept entry of any genetically modified variety on to the National List unless it has obtained the necessary clearances under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and regulations made under it, relating to environmental and safety aspects. It would, however, be outside the scope of the National List system to introduce a general ban on the addition of genetically modified varieties.