§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether in the GM farm scale evaluations(a) commercially useful yield, (b) starch and (c) dry matter measurements of the final GM maize crop were independently obtained to confirm whether the use of this herbicide regime would allow an economically viable crop to be grown. [137656]
§ Mr. MorleySuch measurements were not made. The GM and conventional maize in each field evaluation were compared at every stage of growth and results were only included in the analysis where these correlates of yield were comparable and consistent with the protocol requiring 'cost-effective weed control'.
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what yield penalty she predicts for GM crops if they are grown in the future using the management and herbicide regimes employed during the Field Scale Evaluation programme. [136804]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 6 November 2003]: Any new variety of a GM crop which has been approved for cultivation under Directive 2001/18 also has to comply with the relevant seeds legislation before it can be added to the National List or the EU common catalogue of plant varieties. The new variety must conform with certain requirements which include an assessment of its value for cultivation and use. The yield achieved in commercial cultivation of a crop depends on many factors including the particular variety chosen, the management system, the quality of the farmland, weather conditions and so on. Therefore predictions cannot be made.
412W
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on(a) research into the overall efficacy of the Liberty (GA) herbicide regime in the Farm Scale Evaluation of GM maize and (b) research in the UK and other countries on the rate of development of resistance to the herbicide Liberty in common weeds. [136805]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 6 November 2003]The published results of the farm-scale evaluations present the most in-depth study of the efficacy of Liberty (GA), as used in the evaluations, ever conducted. For full details see Heard et al. 2003; "Weeds in fields with contrasting conventional and genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops. 1. Effects on abundance and diversity";Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1819–1832. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library.
As part of the procedure to issue consent for the release of a herbicide tolerant GM crop the applicants must present evidence that the use of the associated herbicide (eg Liberty in this case) does not lead to environmental harm through the development of resistance in common weeds. This includes a consideration based on any available research findings. The issue of weed resistance to herbicides is not unique to GM crops.
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measurements of GM crop yield were made during the recently completed Farm Scale Evaluation research programme to assess the commercial viability of the herbicide regimes adopted. [136806]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 6 November 2003]: The FSE research team measured surrogates of crop yield rather than yield directly. In particular these included repeated measurements of crop development for both the GM and non-GM crops. The data show little difference between the GM and non-GM. For further details see Champion et al. (2003) "Crop management and agronomic context of the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1801–1818. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library.
The FSE research team compared the crop development with the audited management practices and concluded that the trials of the GM crops in the FSE were consistent with cost effective weed control. The scientific probity of this conclusion was independently verified by the publishing journal and endorsed by the scientific steering committee who advised Ministers accordingly.
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what(a) herbicide mixes and (b) levels of application per hectare she proposes to permit for commercial cultivation of GM maize; and whether these differ from the levels used in the farm scale evaluations. [136807]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 6 November 2003]All pesticide products are approved on an individual basis. Only when we are satisfied that a pesticide is safe for the proposed use will approval for that use be granted. 413W Growers may only use approved herbicides in a mixture in compliance with the statutory conditions of approval for each of the products.
In practice throughout the farm-scale evaluations growers used the herbicide glufosinate ammonium alone on the GM maize fields.
The recommended individual and maximum permitted application rates of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium used on GM maize in the farm-scale evaluations were defined by the conditions of the simulated product licence that formed part of the experimental pesticide approval. This specified a maximum permitted rate of 8 litres per hectare and a recommended individual rate of 4 litres per hectare, depending on the weeds present and their growth stage. Application was permitted until the nine-leaf stage of maize. Before glufosinate ammonium could be used on a commercial scale on GM maize it would need full pesticide approval. In seeking approval the necessary data package would have to be supplied by the applicant and be subjected to the considerations of human and environmental safety which have been established for all pesticide uses. Any approval given would specify recommended and maximum application rates in the same way as the experimental permit. These conditions would be determined by the Pesticide Safety Directorate taking due account of advice from their expert advisory committee the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.
Where appropriate we shall be seeking to specify the management systems for the cultivation of GM crops through the conditions imposed with the consent.
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when during the GM farm scale evaluations she was informed that neither the use of Liberty alone on GM maize nor the use of Atrazine on the non-GM control crop would replicate the herbicide use and management regimes which would be used in commercial plantings in the UK in future years. [136808]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 6 November 2003]: The farm-scale evaluations were set up to assess the relative impact on wildlife of GM and non-GM management of four crops, based on practices current at the time. They were not set up to investigate the impact of any potential future management changes for either crop, although they will provide an invaluable baseline in our understanding of any such future changes.
The decision to phase out Atrazine in the EU was taken on 3 October 2003, over a year after the completion of the last maize field trials. During the time of the trials (1999–2002) conventional maize practice predominately involved the use of Atrazine; this therefore formed a large part of the sample of FSE fields.
In 2002 some evidence emerged that farmers in the US often mixed Atrazine with glufosinate ammonium for use on GM maize crops. In the FSE, farmers of GM maize used glufosinate ammonium alone. The industry asserted that the UK and US differed in conditions and that glufosinate ammonium alone was typical of the likely practice in the UK. The scientific steering committee, whose role it is to advise me on the conduct of the FSE, considered that in the absence of evidence 414W either way to justify the need for Atrazine to be used in conjunction with glufosinate ammonium in the UK that trials would continue as before. Accordingly, I was not advised that any action was necessary.
Now that Atrazine is being phased out it clearly will not be permitted on any fodder maize crop, GM or otherwise. However, the issue of whether other licensed herbicides could be mixed with glufosinate ammonium on GM crops remains.
§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she will take to protect organic farming from possible effects of GM crops. [137261]
§ Mr. MorleyWe will consider the co-existence of GM and organic crops in the light of guidelines issued by the European Commission and a report we expect to receive shortly from the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission.
§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent bilateral meetings she has had with the United States Department of Agriculture at which the subject of GM crops was discussed; and if she will make a statement. [138216]
§ Mr. MorleyMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State from time to time discusses issues raised by genetically modified crops with her counterparts from the United States and other nations. However, there have been no recent bilateral meetings with the US Department of Agriculture on this issue.
§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in(a) the Scottish Executive and (b) the Welsh Assembly on the regulation of GM crops. [138217]
§ Mr. MorleyMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I hold regular discussions with our counterparts in the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government on a range of issues, including GM crops.