Archived press release

Government agrees to delay GM debate

20 February 2003

The Government has agreed to extend by three months the period for a public debate on genetically modified crops and whether they should be grown in Britain.

A request to delay the debate had been made by Professor Malcolm Grant, Chair of the debate's Steering Board. In a letter to Professor Grant, Environment Secretary Margaret Becket, says that "it would now be impracticable for the steering for the Steering Board to deliver its report to Government by the end of June. I am therefore prepared to agree to your request to extend the debate timetable, on the understanding that the Steering Board will submit its final report by the end of September at the latest."

The Government announced on 26 July 2002 that it would hold a public debate on GM crops "to provide people with the opportunity to debate the issues openly and reach their own judgements" [1]. The debate was also intended to help the Government decide whether or not to allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK. A decision is expected later this year.

But the debate has run into controversy before it has even begun. An unnamed Government Minister was reported as describing the debate as a Government "PR offensive" [2]. And in November the Government confirmed that a major scientific review of the new technology - another strand of the debate - will end before the GM farm scale trials have finished [3]. Meanwhile public opposition to this new technology remains firm. In October 2002 an NOP survey showed that 57% did not want the Government to allow GM crops to be commercially grown across the UK. In the previous month Grocer magazine found that 58% would avoid products containing GM ingredients.

Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner Clare Oxborrow said:

"At long last the Government has finally agreed a timetable for its GM Public Debate - seven months after details were first announced. But the Government mustn't ignore the real public debate that has been taking place on GM crops throughout the country for the past five years. It's clear that people don't want their food, farming and wildlife threatened by GM pollution. The Government must show that it is listening and refuse to allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK."

Copies of Margaret Beckett's letter are available from Friends of the Earth

Notes

• 1.See DEFRA Press release: www.defra.gov.uk/news/2002/020726a.htm

• 2. Daily Telegraph and FT - 9 July 2002. See: www.foe.co.uk/pubsinfo/infoteam/pressrel/2002/20020709130931.html

• 3. See: www.foe.co.uk/pubsinfo/infoteam/pressrel/2002/20021129004345.html

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