HC Deb 09 May 2001 vol 368 cc180-1W
Mrs. Lawrence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultations were held with(a) the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, (b) the Wild Life Trust West Wales, (c) Pembrokeshire county council and (d) the National Assembly for Wales on environmental sensitivity, prior to a decision being made to allow genetically modified farm scale trials to go ahead at Mathry, Pembrokeshire. [157570]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 9 April 2001]: No consultations on environmental sensitivity were held with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the Wild Life Trust West Wales, Pembrokeshire county council or the National Assembly for Wales, prior to a decision being made to propose genetically modified farm scale evaluations at Mathry, Pembrokeshire.

The genetically modified (GM) maize to be grown at Mathry has European Union wide approval for unrestricted cultivation. The fields at Mathry were offered by Aventis CropScience on behalf of the industry body SCIMAC and selected by the research consortium undertaking the evaluations in accordance with the criteria set by the independent committee of scientists overseeing the Farm Scale Evaluations. It is not a decision Ministers take. As soon as DETR officials were notified of the site locations by SCIMAC they informed National Assembly officials about the three sites in Wales. DETR issued a press release on 3 April listing the proposed sites and on the same day also wrote to Pembrokeshire county council and the local community council to inform them of the sites and to provide information about the Farm Scale Evaluation programme. This received extensive local and Welsh media coverage. DETR officials and experts were then available to discuss any environmental concerns arising from the proposed evaluation in Mathry.

Mrs. Lawrence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what environmental impact assessments have been carried out on the proposed genetically modified farm scale trial sites at Mathry, Pembrokeshire, before the decision to grant a licence was made. [157568]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 9 April 2001]: The genetically modified (GM) maize to be grown in the Farm Scale Evaluations at Mathry has been subject to detailed risk assessments as part of the requirement for its authorisation under EU Directive 90–220, which controls releases of GM organisms. These risk assessments showed that it could safely be cultivated anywhere within the EU. Accordingly it was granted consent for commercial cultivation in 1998. This consent applies throughout the European Union. Directive 90–220 requires that the use of GM crops with commercial approval may not be prohibited or impeded except on sound scientific grounds, in particular, risks to human health or the environment. Any such action would need to be agreed by other Member States. This is in keeping with such crops having passed a robust risk assessment at EU level and being assessed as safe for use. No additional environmental impact assessment is therefore required under EU legislation. Equally there is nothing to prevent such an assessment being carried out, though none in practice has.