HC Deb 26 March 2004 vol 419 cc1095-7W
Mr. Simon Thomas

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research is being conducted into inter-species gene flow between GM maize and other plants.[162062]

Mr. Morley

: I am not aware of any research in the UK on inter-species gene flow between GM maize and other plants.

The Department has commissioned a project looking at intra-specific gene flow between non-GM maize crops in existing maize crops in the UK using naturally occurring molecular markers. A small part of the project includes an examination of the likelihood of maize cross-pollinating with rye grass, a distantly related species. Maize originates in the Americas and there is no evidence that it can cross-pollinate with any UK species under natural conditions.

More research has been conducted in central America where cultivated maize varieties grow alongside sexually compatible wild relatives, but the findings have no relevance to UK conditions.

The GM science review recently assessed the evidence for inter-species gene flow (www.gmsciencedebate.org.uk, First report, Chapter 7.3). They concluded that in the UK, for crops including maize, that gene flow to wild relatives was 'not an issue'.

Mrs. Lawrence

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether she has communicated the shortcomings of the farm scale evaluation maize trials to the lead competent authority in France in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC; and whether she has requested a variation in the conditions attached to the Part C consent for Chardon LL fodder maize; [162923]

(2) when she was informed that cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize had been requested by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding Stuffs; [162979]

(3) whether (a) meat and (b) milk from the cattle involved in the Chardon LL feeding studies at Reading University has entered the food chain; [162982]

Mrs. Jackie Lawrence

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she gave consent for harvested Chardon LL forage maize from farm-scale evaluation sites to be taken off-site and used in cattle feeding studies at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research. [163076]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 23 March 2004]I am not aware of any shortcomings of the farm-scale evaluation (FSE) maize trials, the results have been endorsed by both the Scientific Steering Committee overseeing the evaluations and the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE).

Officials sent the results of the Farm Scale Evaluations, together with the non-specialist and scientific summaries, to the European Commission and the Competent Authorities of the Member States for their information on 20 and 21 October 2003. ACRE published its advice on the FSE results on 13 January 2004, and this advice was also sent to the Commission and the Competent Authorities on that date. On 9 March 2004 officials wrote to the French Competent Authority, which issued the relevant consent on behalf of all EU Member States, seeking amendments to the consent for Bayer T25 GM maize (Chardon LL) to limit herbicide use with the crop in line with ACRE'S advice.

Neither the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment nor the Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF) has requested cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize. ACAF has advised, on the basis of the data already submitted, that it is content that the T25 maize grain and its products pose no more risk as animal feed than non-GM maize varieties.

The GM maize used in the farm scale evaluations has Europe wide marketing consent for use in animal feed so no consent was required to use the harvested crop in the cattle feeding study carried out at the University of Reading.

Although there is no legal requirement to withhold the milk or meat from the food chain the protocol for the Reading University study required that the milk from the dairy cows did not enter the food chain during the period of the study.

Mrs. Lawrence

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that, if Chardon LL is placed on the National Seeds Register, it will only be grown in the UK in the future with a herbicide regime exactly the same as that c employed in the farm-scale evaluation programme. [162924]

Mr. Morley

: On 9 March 2004 officials wrote to the French Competent Authority, which issued the relevant consent on behalf of all EU Member States, seeking amendments to the consent for Bayer T25 GM maize (Chardon LL) to limit herbicide use with the crop in line with ACRE'S advice on the FSE results.

Alan Simpson

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she was informed of the recommendation of Professor David Beever that no new maize variety should be placed upon the National Seeds Register unless it achieves a whole-plant target of 32 per cent. [163169]

Mr. Morley

: The dry matter content achieved for maize crops depends on location, climate and variety. Views on the optimum value vary and the realistic situation is that it falls within a range of around 28–32 per cent., depending on local factors. The importance of dry matter content is taken into account in the National List system, but it is only one of a number of factors which are assessed.

Alan Simpson

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the involvement of Grainseed in the conduct of the National List trials for Chardon LL in 1998 and 1999, on behalf of the British Plant Breeders Society, and their impact on the research findings. [163206]

Mr. Morley

: A thorough evaluation of all the data used for the assessment of Chardon LL in National List trials was conducted by the independent experts on the Herbage Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) group. The group recommended that the 1998 Grainseed data were acceptable as part of a valid assessment of the performance of Chardon LL. However, the group recommended that the 1999 Grainseed data should be excluded because of substandard plant populations. This was done and data from a reserve site used instead.

Alan Simpson

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence she has collated, in the absence of ruminant feeding studies, that Chardon LL has added value for cultivation and use in the United Kingdom. [163213]

Mr. Morley

: The criterion for adding a variety to the UK National List is that it should, taking its qualities as a whole, represent a clear improvement compared with other forage maize varieties already on the UK List. Chardon has been assessed on this basis and found to meet the performance standards set to indicate a clear improvement in value for cultivation and use. The evidence for this is that in National List trials, Chardon's results met the improvement standards for several important characteristics. Animal feeding studies are not required for this assessment.

Mrs. Lawrence

: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the results of the Reading University Chardon LL feeding studies involving broiler chickens. [162980]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 23 March 2004]I am unaware of any feeding studies undertaken by Reading University involving broiler chickens and GM maize Chardon LL Publication of the results of studies carried out by the University is a matter for them and those funding the work.