German wades into GM Public Debate Fiasco

The UK Government's proposed "public debate" into GM crops and food is becoming a fiasco say Friends of the Earth after Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, Mike German called for the debate to be delayed until summer 2003. Friends of the Earth Cymru has welcomed Mr German's intervention. The group has been sceptical about the value of the public debate until the results of the Government's farm scale trials of GM crops are announced.

In a letter to GM debate chair Professor Malcolm Grant, Mr German stated "Two or three months is the sort of time scale envisaged and we think that any lessening of that time scale could seriously undermine its purpose" and asked that the committee "consider a two-three month debate taking place in summer 2003. This would allow more time to debate the issues with the due consideration they deserve" [1].

Mike German also supports the view that the public debate should include the results of the Farm Scale Evaluations due to be published in July [2].

Calls for a delay in timetable for the debate to allow more time were echoed by representatives from Scotland and Wales at yesterday's meeting of the steering board.

Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Secretary Margaret Beckett has always insisted that the GM public debate should be completed by the end of June including the final report before the Farm Scale Evaluation results are published.

Concerns are also increasing about the lack of proper funding for the whole debate. Mrs Beckett is understood to have agreed to increase the funding by another £150,000 making a total of £400,000 [3]. However, over £143,000 has already been spent on preparation work [4] and estimates of the costs for the full debate range from £437,000 to £700-800,000.

Commenting, Pete Riley of Friends of the Earth said:

"Mrs Beckett's idea that the debate should be done and dusted by June is looking very unlikely and the whole process is a fiasco. There is just not sufficient time left to allow the public time to engage with what is a complex scientific, economic, social and ethical issue. She should heed the advice of her counterpart in Wales and delay until the summer.

"However, DEFRA's reluctance to properly fund the full debate indicate s that they are more interested in setting up an elaborate PR exercise than genuinely trying to involve the public in the decision making process on GM crops and food. We urge the GM debate steering group to stand up and fight for a full and wide ranging debate so the public can have their say on the future of GM crops and food."

Julian Rosser of Friends of the Earth Cymru commented:

"We are delighted to hear Mike German stating so clearly that we shouldn't be making decisions on GM crops until we have more evidence. We very much hope that he sticks to his guns as he comes under pressure from Whitehall to allow commercialisation of GM crops in Wales."

Notes

1. Letter from Mike German AM to Professor Malcolm Grant 20th January 2002 (copy available).
2. Ditto "I note in the COI report its recommendation that "the relationship between the debate
programme and the announcement of the results of the farm scale evaluations trials should be
re-visited" and I would endorse the sentiment".
3. DEFRA press release 309/02
4. Minutes of the GM public Debate Steering Board 20th November 2002