§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about proposals to test pharmaceutical crops in the UK. [138806]
§ Mr. MorleyWe have received no such representations. Commercial testing of crops for pharmaceutical use is a matter for the industry. The relevant statutory safeguards would need to be complied with, for example in the cultivation of hemp and other similar crops for authorised purposes. There have been no proposals to release GM crops modified for the production of pharmaceutically active components.