HC Deb 18 March 1999 vol 327 cc813-4W
Mr. Edwards

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about Government policy on the control of genetically modified food. [75373]

Mr. Rooker

[holding answer 17 March 1999]The Government's policy on the control of GM foods is first and foremost to protect public health and secondly to ensure that all such foods are clearly labelled so that consumers are able to make an informed choice about whether or not to consume them.

Dr. Kumar

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has undertaken of the safety of genetically modified foods on a similar basis to those undertaken for pharmaceutical products. [75418]

Mr. Rooker

The authorisation of market release for new drugs and genetic modified (GM) foods are subject to different, but equally strict, criteria.

The assessment for new drugs is based on safety, quality and efficacy. The assessment of novel, including GM, foods is based on establishing that they do not present a danger to the public; that the public are not misled in any way about them; and that they do not disadvantage the public in terms of their nutritional content.

Mr. Home Robertson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce regulations for the enforcement of EC Regulation 1139/98 concerning the labelling of genetically-modified soya and maize. [78044]

Mr. Rooker

I have laid before Parliament this morning the Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations 1999, which will come into force tomorrow. These provide the means for Local Authorities to be able to enforce the EC Regulation that requires all foods containing genetically modified soya or maize ingredients to be clearly labelled. This Regulation, which took effect last September, applies to all foods produced and labelled from that date.

The Government are determined that consumers should be able to choose whether or not to eat genetically modified foods. This includes food sold in restaurants, cafes and takeaways and not just that available from supermarkets. The UK is the first member state in Europe to take steps to ensure that consumers eating out will have the same right to choose whether or not to consume foods containing GM ingredients as those buying from shops.

As a measure of how seriously the Government take the right of consumers to have clear, reliable information about the GM content of food they buy, we have decided not to wait the customary 21 days for these Regulations to come into force but to make them fully effective from tomorrow.

A letter is being sent today to interested parties advising them of the content of the Regulations and enclosing a copy of the text. Further copies of the Regulations are available from John Furzer or Raj Pal, MAFF, Room 239c, Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR. In addition, the legislation can be viewed from this afternoon at MAFF Website "http://www.maff. gov.uk/food/novel/labelreg. pdf" A Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Regulations has been prepared and placed in the Library of the House.