Written question asked by Julia Drown (Labour) on Thursday, 25 March 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 April 1999. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 April 1999 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Question: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the National Pollen Research Unit's advice on the minimum advisable separation distance between genetically engineered maize crops and conventional crops.

Answer: Ms Drown: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the National Pollen Research Unit's advice on the minimum advisable separation distance between genetically engineered maize crops and conventional crops. [79500] Mr. Rooker: The National Pollen Research Unit's recent report provided a review of information regarding the dispersal of pollen and the distance it could travel. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) have been asked to consider this report and, when available, their advice will be published and placed in the Libraries of the House. The risk of cross-pollination, which can be affected by other factors such as pollen viability as well as separation distance, is considered by ACRE when examining each application for release of genetically modified (GM) crops. Appropriate conditions (e.g. separation distances) may be included in a consent, but a consent would not be granted if ACRE considered the risks associated with cross-pollination to be unacceptable. In addition, Government are funding research on the dispersal and viability of pollen of different crop species.

Secondary information