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Written question asked by Andrew George (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 12 November 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 19 November 2003. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 November 2003 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made through (a) research commissioned by her Department, (b) farm scale trials and (c) other research of the potential for GM herbicide tolerant plants to create herbicide tolerant hybrid weeds; and what the results of that research were; what assessment her Department has made of the (a) likelihood and (b) impact of hybridisation of GM oilseed rape. - Inc ref to 'Monitoring large scale releases of genetically modified crops, incorporating report on project EPG 1/5/30: monitoring releases of genetically modified crop plants', 'Gene Flow Monitoring from the GM Crop FSE Sites: Monitoring Gene Flow from the GM Crop to Non-GM Equivalent Crops in the Vicinity. Part 1: Forage Maize', www.scienceexpress.org and www.gmsciencedebate.org.uk.
Answer

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment has been made through (a) research commissioned by her Department, (b) farm scale trials and (c) other research of the potential for GM herbicide tolerant plants to create herbicide tolerant hybrid weeds; and what the results of that research were; [139018] (2) what assessment her Department has made of the (a) likelihood and (b) impact of hybridisation of GM oilseed rape. [139156] Mr. Morley: There has been considerable research investigating hybridisation between GM and non-GM crops, including the crops studied in the Farm Scale Evaluations, and between GM crops and wild relatives. This includes studies commissioned by my Department (e.g. "Monitoring large scale releases of genetically modified crops, incorporating report on project EPG 1/5/30: monitoring releases of genetically modified crop plants" (December 2002)), studies carried out in parallel with the Farm Scale Evaluations (e.g. "Gene Flow Monitoring from the GM Crop FSE Sites: Monitoring Gene Flow from the GM Crop to Non-GM Equivalent Crops in the Vicinity. Part 1: Forage Maize" (October 2003)) and other research published in scientific journals (e.g. Wilkinson et al. (2003) Science online www.scienceexpress.org (9 October 2003)). The issues of gene flow and hybridisation between GM and non-GM crops are addressed in Chapter 7 of the GM Science Review published in July 2003 (http://www. gmsciencedebate.org.uk/). The impact of hybridisation between herbicide tolerant GM crops and other crops or wild relatives is considered as part of the risk assessment carried out prior to any decision to authorise the release of herbicide-tolerant GM crops.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
413 c894-5W;413 c893-4W; 139018;139156
Session
2002-03
Subjects
Crops Genetically modified organisms Pesticides Research Oilseed rape Weedkillers
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk