§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government have authorised the environmental release of a genetically modified baculovirus; and what assessment they have made of the risks involved in such a release. [122998]
57W
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 22 May 2000]: The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) assesses all applications for the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms.
Following advice from ACRE that there would be no risk to human health or the environment, the Government authorised the environmental release of insect-specific baculoviruses in netted enclosures under a Part B research and development consent. At the end of each release the enclosures were decontaminated and experimental material destroyed in line with the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the Control of Pesticides Act 1986.
Post trial monitoring has confirmed that all experimental organisms were destroyed and there was no harm to the environment.