§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when ACRE will publish the criteria against which changes in biodiversity will be measured in the GM crop trials. [120715]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 3 May 2000]: The farm scale evaluations have been designed to test the hypothesis that there are no significant differences between the biodiversity associated with the management of certain GM herbicide tolerant crops and comparable non-GM crops at the farm scale. When the results are available they will be reviewed by the Scientific Steering Committee and published.
The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment will be asked to consider the results and advise ministers. The ACRE sub-group set up to consider the assessment of these issues intends to publish draft assessment criteria for discussion shortly.