§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list(a) under which Sections of the (i) Environmental Protection Act 1990 and (ii) any other Act he has issued regulations concerning conditions to be met by applicants for cultivation of genetically modified crops for (1) research and (2) sale, (b) the (A) dates, (B) numbers, (C) titles of any such Regulations and (D) those which require approval by resolution of either House of Parliament and (c) what general exemptions from any part of any such regulations he has given to (x) which persons and (y) bodies and (z) for what reason. [72561]
§ Mr. MeacherThe release and marketing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is governed by the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992, SI 1992–3280, as amended by the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1995, SI 1995–304, and the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release and Risk Assessment) Regulations 1997, SI 1997–1900 which give effect to Part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Together, these implement Council Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms. There is no requirement for approval by resolution of either House of Parliament and no general exemptions have been given to particular persons or bodies.
§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will state the level of representation of the United Kingdom on each regulatory Committee of the European(a) Commission and (b) Council concerned with the approval for (i) experiment and (ii) sale of genetic crops, listing the producers used at each stage, the mode of decision by vote and the legal basis for such decision. [73720]
§ Mr. MeacherAll consents for the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs are issued on the basis of the procedures laid down in Directive 90/220/EEC.
Although there is exchange of information at EC level regarding the release of GMOs for research purposes, consents are issued on a national level without the need for EC-level approval. Applications to market GMO products must, however, be cleared by the European Community before consent is granted. The Commission's regulatory committee is therefore involved with the approval of marketing applications.
If objections are raised by other Member States' competent authorities to a marketing notification forwarded by the lead competent authority to the Commission, a decision is taken by the Commission 42W regulatory committee using the type IIIa procedure. At these meetings the UK is normally represented by an official of at least Grade 7 level.
If the vote is in favour by a qualified majority, release is then approved by the original competent authority. If there is not a qualified majority in favour, the Commission submits a proposal to Ministers at the Environment Council.
If the Council agrees by a qualified majority the release goes ahead, while if it rejects the proposal by qualified majority, the proposed release is rejected. If the Council does not decide within 3 months, the Commission may approve the release.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is the present acreage of trial genetically modified crops under cultivation; [74852]
(2) what estimate he has made of the percentage of crops under cultivation which are trials of genetically modified crops. [74853]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 5 March 1999]: All the genetically modified crops currently grown are small-scale experimental trials. This year, we expect the area under cultivation to be approximately 300 hectares. This is about 0.006% of the total area under cultivation for all crops of almost 5 million hectares.