§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Government were first informed of the length of official testing of Chardon LL in France. [144374]
§ Mr. Nick Brown[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Concerns about the procedures for the DUS testing of maize in France were first aroused by the content of agenda papers for a Community Plant Variety Office Administrative Council meeting. The papers were first 563W received in MAFF on 6 October. Subsequent exchanges between MAFF and French officials were initially inconclusive but in view of the potential implications the concerns were drawn to the attention of Ministers on 30 October. The issue was then immediately placed in the public domain via a PQ and press release on 31 October.