GM Crops (Hansard, 27 March 2000)

§ Sir Richard Body
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date the contract was signed for the growing of a GM crop at Friskney, Lincolnshire. [116448]

§ Mr. Meacher
My Department was notified by Monsanto of a proposed location of a field for a farm scale evaluation of GM beet near Friskney in Lincolnshire, on 16 March 2000. The contractual arrangements are a matter for Monsanto and the farmer involved.

§ Mr. Keetch
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what GM crop trials there have been in Herefordshire; and if he will make a statement. [116343]

§ Mr. Meacher
The Government's farm scale evaluations programme, which I announced on 17 March, is designed to allow independent researchers to see what effect growing and managing GM crops might have on farmland wildlife, compared with non-GM crops. The programme this year will involve up to 80 GM field sites. To date, none of the proposed sites notified to my Department is in Herefordshire.