Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 June 2010.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect Roundup Ready genes within crops have upon the uptake of nutrients, disease resistance, physiological efficiency and drought stress.

Answer: Roundup Ready crops have not been grown commercially in the UK, but we are aware of relevant scientific papers in this area. Applications to market Roundup Ready crop seeds are subject to the EU legislation on the release of genetically modified (GM) organisms. Under this legislation, assessments to date of proposed Roundup Ready crops have suggested that harmful environmental effects would not arise as a result of their performance on the attributes referred to. Of these attributes, resistance to disease is also assessed as part of the legislative National List process for approving new types of crop seed, whether GM or conventional.

Secondary information