§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of recent research from the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University concerning plant viruses recombining with vertebrate-infecting viruses; what evaluation he made of the risks of parts of the HIV virus being used as carriers in the context of his risk assessment of GM crops; and if he will make a statement. [115200]
§ Ms QuinWe will be studying the research referred to carefully. No parts of the HIV virus have been used in the construction of GM plants assessed for safety in the UK. If any such GM plants were to come forward for assessment they would be subject to stringent scrutiny.