Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Davies of Oldham (Labour) on Monday, 8 March 2010.

Genetically Modified Crops

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many safety tests of genetically modified crops and foods, to the highest international standards, they have commissioned in the last 10 years.

Answer: Applications for consent to market a genetically modified (GM) crop or food have to include an appropriate dossier of risk assessment information, including data from relevant tests or trials. The European Food Safety Authority plays a central role in evaluating the dossiers, and in the UK the environmental implications are considered by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. The independent scientists who undertake this scrutiny will draw on their knowledge of the wider scientific literature that is relevant to a given application, and further data or clarification will be requested from an applicant where a dossier is thought to be insufficient. A marketing consent will only be granted if it is clear that the GM product poses no unacceptable risks to human health, animal health and the environment. In this context of independent scrutiny of evidence, Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) do not as a rule commission safety tests on specific GM crops or foods, although both commission research into generic aspects of risk assessment in this area. In addition, from 2000-2003 Defra funded a special programme of farm-scale research trials of several GM herbicide-tolerant crops, to assess the environmental implications of the novel herbicide use associated with the GM varieties. Details of Defra and FSA research are on their respective websites.

Secondary information