Government denies GM trials are in trouble26 August 1999
Following Friends of the Earth's High Court challenge on 20 August the Press Association has reported that: "A Government source said: 'The Government has not and will not suspend or delay the field trials. AgrEvo have until 25 September to plant these crops. We expect that this will happen as planned, subject to any court ruling to the contrary."
This appears to be contradicted by the letter to the High Court from Ms Juliet Hartridge for the Treasury Solicitor, dated 25 August 1999, reference number L99/57321/JCH/D4. The letter states: "It was planned to sow the oilseed rape on or about 26th August 1999. This date has now been set back due to the issue of these proceedings, as should the Court decide that the First Respondent [DETR]'s variation to the consent is unlawful, any seedlings already planted may have to be destroyed. It is considered that the seeds cannot be sown later than 25 September 1999 and in any event the Consent only allows the release from August to September ... Any delay in the sowing of the seeds post 24 September will jeopardise the winter oilseed rape farm scale trials for 1999 and an entire year will be lost from the research programme."
Friends of the Earth (FOE) understands that Government press officers have briefed journalists to the effect that the Treasury Solicitor was given this information only in order to persuade the Court to expedite the hearing.
Friends of the Earth Policy Director Tony Juniper said: "The Government's spin doctors are starting to play a very dangerous game. The Government's lawyers have told the High Court that the trials have been delayed by FOE's legal challenge. The spinners are claiming that this is false. If Departments have misled the Government's own law officers this could prove to be a serious political scandal."
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