HL Deb 16 March 1999 vol 598 cc90-1WA
Lord Norton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 2 March (WA 179), how long it will take to clear the current visa backlog at the Immigration Centre in Croydon. [HLI402]

Lord Hoyle

The Government are committed to reducing the Immigration and Nationality Department (IND) casework backlog to fractional levels by 2001. How this will be achieved is set out in the Government's White PaperFairer, Faster and Firmer— A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum. (Cm 4018).

The Earl of Haddington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether their research into genetically modified (GM) crops for use in the United Kingdom has exposed risks to the bee population, due to bees collecting pollen from GM crops that have been bred to have insecticidal properties or other anti-viral or anti-bacterial properties. [HL1298]

The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)

Government-funded research to determine whether crops modified to be insect-resistant have any effect on bees is under way at the Scottish Crops Research Institute. The research is due to run until March 2001 and the results will be reported once the work has finished.