§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy on the appointment of members to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. [147883]
§ Mr. MeacherMembers of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) are appointed in accordance with the "Guidance on appointments to public bodies" from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. A copy of this Guidance may be found in the House Library.
ACRE is a statutory advisory committee under section 124 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The main remit of the committee is to advise Ministers, including the devolved Administrations, on the risks to human health and the environment from the release of genetically modified organisms. ACRE members are appointed purely for their science and technical expertise and do not represent particular stakeholder groups.
131WACRE was last appointed in June 1999, when approximately half of the members were appointed for three years and the remainder for four years. The next appointments to the committee will therefore be in June 2002. Further details about ACRE and the current members can be found in the committee's annual report, a copy of which is available in the House Library. The report includes the committee's full terms of reference, pen pictures of all members and their declared interests.