Archived press release

Labout MPs sink GM bill

26 March 2004

A new law proposed by Gregory Barker MP (Conservative, Bexhill and Battle) controlling the release of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops into the environment was today killed off by Labour MPs acting on the Government's pro-GM agenda. Andrew Dismore MP (Labour, Hendon) used an obscure

Parliamentary device to prevent the debate continuing [1].

The Bill, which was supported by Friends of the Earth [2], would have required the House of Commons to approve rules for the planting of GM crops which would prevent them contaminating non-GM and organic farms. It also required the Commons to approve liability rules which would ensure that farmers who found their crops contaminated by GM traits could win compensation from the GM industry. Crucially, the Bill required these measures to be in place before any planting took place, and required votes of the full House of Commons and devolved assemblies, to ensure full democratic scrutiny.

Despite promising to listen to the debate, no DEFRA Minister made time to attend. Elliot Morley had written to Gregory Barker MP on 24th March, saying that the Government had made "clear statements … that our intention is to get these measures in place before commercial planting takes place and we are actively working to that end." we "will of course listen carefully to what you have to say in support your Bill [sic] on Friday and judge it accordingly."

Since 1997, the Government has never called a debate on GM crops in its own time. The only debates that have taken place have been the result of backbench MPs raising the matter in Parliament.

Friends of the Earth Senior Campaigner Martyn Williams said:

"The GM bill has fallen because the Government, along with its most compliant back bench MPs, has used an obscure Parliamentary device to block debate on an issue of great public importance. The Government has never had a debate on GM crops. This bill would have ensured that GM crops are not planted until the new laws are in place preventing GM contamination of other crops. This despicable behaviour once again reveals the Government's true agenda - to support GM against the wishes of the British public. These MPs should be ashamed of themselves and will certainly need to do a lot of explaining to their constituents".

Commenting on the development, Gregory Barker MP said:

"GM is a matter of huge public interest, not just in my constituency but across the whole UK. The thousands of people who replied to the Government's own constitution exercise will be aghast that Labour MPs and Ministers have conspired to prevent the House of Commons even debating the matter.

My Bill was a very modest measure, which simply required Parliament to approve rules for planting GM crops before they were planted. It was not pro-or anti-GM, it was a common sense approach to any new technology that carries risks as well as benefits. However, even such a sensible measure was clearly too much for the Labour Government.

How can the public now trust a Government who appear to be determined to force GM crops on the UK and will stamp on any debate that members of the public or Parliament seek to raise?"

Notes

[1] During the debate on the Genetically Modified Organisms Bill, Mr Dismore called a vote for the House to sit in private, and then the vast majority of Labour members and Ministers present at the House of Commons deliberately failed to vote. As a result, too few MPs were counted through the lobbies, and the debate on the Bill was ended early by the Deputy Speaker.

[2] The Genetically Modified Organisms Bill
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmbills/031/2004031.pdf (PDF format)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust