§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will have discussions with mycologists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh before endorsing a programme submitted by the UN International Drug Control Programme for field trials of fusarium oxysporum as a weapon against coca growing in Columbia and Peru. [121080]
§ Clare ShortMy Department has not been asked either to endorse or fund the UNDCP's research into the use of fusarium oxysporum as a control agent against coca crops in Colombia. My officials have, however, discussed the planned research with mycologists widely in the UK, including at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. I understand that UNDCP are working closely with the UN Environmental Programme to ensure that all precautions are taken and that risks are eliminated.