§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the GM maize plantings in Shropshire by Ordnance Survey grid reference; and if he will make a statement. [155968]
§ Mr. MeacherEU Directive 90/220, on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to the environment, recognises two types of release. The first, known as Part B releases, are carried out for research purposes and must be notified to the Government. Their location must be advertised locally and made publicly available through the register of releases held by my Department. The second type of release, known as a Part C release, is for commercial purposes. Such releases do not have to be notifited to the Government, as the crops have undergone detailed safety assessments at European level and been approved for commercial use. However, where such releases are carried out as part of the farm scale evaluations or as part of the National Seed List trials then their location is notified to Government and made publicly available.
The public register of releases shows that no GM maize is presently being grown in Shropshire under Part B consents. I also understand that no National List trials of GM maize are presently taking place in Shropshire and that no GM maize is presently under cultivation as part of the farm scale evaluations. However, the locations of the next round of GM maize sites for the evaluations will be announced shortly by my Department. The sites are likely to be sown from the end of April. Details of their locations, including Ordnance Survey grid references, will be placed on our website at www.detr.gov.uk. We will also write to parish councils in whose area an evaluation is to be sited to provide information about the release.