HC Deb 07 November 2002 vol 392 cc594-5W
Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which of the GM farm scale trials of maize, oil seed rape and beet planted between Autumn 2001 and Spring 2002(a) ran until harvest and (b) were terminated; and what the reasons for termination were in each case. [79739]

Mr. Meacher

In Autumn 2001 a total of 30 winter oil seed rape crops were sown. One field was subsequently terminated following the advice of the scientific steering committee at their meeting of May 20 2002 (minutes at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/fse) as a result of the crop failing to establish; apparently due to the weather. The remainder ran until harvest.

In Spring 2002 the following number of FSE crop fields were planted: 25 spring oil seed rape; 16 beet and 33 maize. Two maize fields were terminated prior to harvest following extensive damage by protestors that rendered any further studies on the site impossible. No spring oil seed rape or beet crops were terminated.

Alan Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will place the tender documents for the biodiversity monitoring on the farm scale evaluations on sugar beet and fodder beet, the contracts for that work and related correspondence in the Library; if she will list the sites in England and Wales where releases of GM oilseed rape were made in 2000 and 2001 under the consent 98/R19/18; and if she will list the genetic transformation events in Aventis' spring oilseed rape released under the consent 00/R33/9 and other experimental release consents granted for this transformation under the GMO Deliberate Regulations. [80214]

Mr. Meacher

I refer my hon. Friend the Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham and Deptford (Joan Ruddock),Official Report, 6 April 2001, column 321W, which announced that a copy of each of the four farm-scale evaluation contracts, which include the invitations to tender, the tenders themselves, the project specification and the covering letter, have been placed in the Library.

In 2001, there were no releases in England or Wales under consent 98/R19/18. In 2000, there were no releases in Wales under consent 98/R19/18. In England, the locations of releases under this consent are summarised below.

Nearest Village County
Little Shelford Cambridgeshire
St Osyth, Seawick Essex
Kempley Gloucestershire
Chipping Campden Gloucestershire
Itchen Abbas Hampshire
Piccots End Hertfordshire
Boothby Graffoe Lincolnshire
North Kelsey Lincolnshire
Horningtoft Norfolk
Meden Vale Nottinghamshire
Appleton Oxfordshire
Alderminster Warwickshire
Upper Tysoe Warwickshire
Priors Hardwick Warwickshire
Laverton Worcestershire
East Newton North Yorkshire
Hutton Magna North Yorkshire

The transformation events in oilseed rape covered by consent 00/R33/9 are Ms8 and Rf3. Since 2000 releases of oilseed rape containing these events have also been

Net Farm Income (£/farm) 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01
Dairy 24,939 33,228 29,295 34,927 28,485 19,306 12,475 8,847 11,887
LFA Cattle & Sheep 8,919 10,501 7,533 13,113 11,646 5,193 2,101 2,572 3,008
Lowland Cattle & Sheep 8,392 7,709 8,115 9,910 6,098 -1,426 527 923 -3,008
Cereals 20,052 20,401 25,538 46,126 35,014 14,570 4,059 4,331 2,529
General Cropping 22,726 23,918 51,377 48,561 24,083 16,752 40,726 5,606 10,239
Pigs & Poultry 24,929 16,713 22,446 39,000 43,316 16,406 5,979 17,817 33,930
Mixed 18,720 20,400 30,580 40,357 31,594 6,799 3,115 8,642 6,085
Horticulture 10,611 14,860 24,397 19,770 20,404 20,283 29,182 19,889 15,212
All Types 19,572 20,715 23,451 29,777 22,574 11,280 8,926 5,628 6,112

Source:

Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their labour and on the tenant-type capital of the business.