§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what genetically modified seeds he plans to add to the National Seed List; and if he will make a statement. [111967]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 7 March 2000]: Applications for the addition of plant varieties to the National List are considered against the requirements of the Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 1982 (as amended) which implement EC directives. These regulations require that varieties must be distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) and, for agricultural species, have a value for cultivation and use (VCU) in the UK. Before genetically modified plant varieties may be proposed for addition to the National List, Ministers also require that a 48W marketing consent has been promulgated under Directive 90/220/EEC on the Deliberate Release into the Environment of Genetically Modified Organisms, and, where appropriate, authorisation has been given under the Novel Foods Regulation, No. 258/97/EEC.
Ministers are currently considering making a proposed decision about the addition to the National List of a genetically modified forage maize variety (CHARDON LL). The variety in question has completed the normal two years of National List tests and trials, and the trait involved has a marketing consent under Directive 90/220/EEC and an authorisation under the Novel Foods Regulation No. 258/97/EEC. As required under the National List regulations, once a proposed decision has been made by Ministers, it will be published in the Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette together with the procedure for making representations against such a proposed decision.
However, the Government's recent agreement with SCIMAC (representing the seeds, farming and biotechnology industries in the UK), precludes the general commercialisation of GM maize until 2003 at the earliest, subject to the results of the UK farm-scale evaluation programme.