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FOE Director writes to PM over sacked GM scientist
12 February 1999
Following the growing scandal of Dr Pusztai's summary dismissal from the Rowett Institute last year; mounting circumstantial evidence of political interference at the heighest levels to promote GM foods, and the deepening public concern over the safety of genetically modified (GM) food and crops, Charles Secrett, Director of Friends of the Earth has written a letter to the Prime Minister Tony Blair calling on him to:
. hold a full public inquiry into the circumstances of Dr Pusztai's forced dismissal in August 1998 from the Institute, which included denying him access to his own team's research findings and a prohibition on his speaking publicly about this work;
. use his influence to ensure that the still standing prohibition which prevents Dr Pusztai from speaking freely on this issue is lifted in the public interest;
. immediately introduce a minimum five year moratorium on the commercial growing,testing for commercial purposes and sale of GM foods and animal feeds in the UK;
. instruct the UK delegation at the United Nations Biosafety Protocol negotiations,beginning in Columbia this week-end, to ensure that the Protocol guarantees strong statutory safeguards to protect the environment and human health from GM organisms and allows individual nations to ban such organisms and any products derived from them;
. issue an unequivocal public statement about the substance of all discussions and correspondence in 1998 between the Prime Minister and President Clinton on genetic engineering, genetically modified foods and products, and companies involved in this industry.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
