London (22nd
July, 2005) – Members continue to put questions to the Minister:
18 Jul 2005 : Column 1282W
GM Food
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs what help the UK Government plans to provide to (a)
farmers and (b) milk retailers to ensure adequate supplies of important non-GM
animal food. [11831]
Mr. Morley: The Government have no plans to provide specific
help to farmers or milk retailers to ensure adequate supplies of imported
non-GM feed for animals. This is a matter of choice, not safety, and market
forces will operate to deliver feed derived from non-GM sources if there is
sufficient demand from farmers and retailers. Legislation is already in place
to ensure that animal feed derived from GM crops is labelled to enable farmers
to make appropriate choices.
GM Crops
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1710W
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs what measures to avoid the unintended presence of genetically
modified organisms in other products her Department has taken, with reference
to Article 26A of EU Directive 2001/18. [13037]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 July 2005]: Before there is
any commercial GM cultivation we plan to have appropriate measures in place
to ensure the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops, consistent with Article
26a of Directive 2001/18. No GM crops are expected to be grown here commercially
before 2008 at the very earliest.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in establishing a liability
regime in respect of GM crops. [13038]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 July 2005]: Last year we held
a number of stakeholder workshops as the first step in consulting on measures
to ensure the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops. We plan to issue a full
consultation paper on this issue later this year. It will set out options
for a possible liability regime in respect of financial losses that might
be incurred by non-GM farmers, if their crops have an unintended GM presence
above the EU 0.9 per cent. labelling threshold.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs what margin of buffer zone, in miles, she estimates
is necessary to guarantee zero cross-contamination of non-GM crops by GM crops.
[13039]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 July 2005]: Non-GM crops can
only be cross-pollinated by GM crops of the same or very closely related species.
In addition, for some crops like beet or potatoes, cross-pollination does
not affect the harvested material, so if a GM variety cross-pollinated a non-GM
variety, the produce of the latter would not have any GM content. Pollen produced
by crop plants may be dispersed by insects or on the wind. The frequency of
cross-pollination events between crops decreases with distance, but it is
known that they may occur infrequently over very long distances. This makes
it difficult to think in terms of guaranteeing zero cross-contamination by
the use of buffer zones.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs what weight her Department gives to (a) environmental
and (b) human health considerations in determining its policy on the co-existence
of GM and non-GM crops. [13040]
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1711W
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 July 2005]: None. GM crops
will not be approved for cultivation unless they pass a detailed case-by-case
assessment of possible risks to human health or the environment. Co-existence
measures are therefore not needed for safety reasons.
Sources:
1. United Kingdom Parliament: Written Answers to Questions [18 Jul 2005].
GM food (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050718/text/50718w01.htm
- 50718w01.html_sbhd2)
2. United Kingdom Parliament: Written Answers to Questions [18 Jul 2005].
GM crops (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050720/text/50720w02.htm
- 50720w02.html_sbhd4)
<<<back
