Written question asked by Simon Thomas (Plaid Cymru) on Wednesday, 25 February 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 March 2004. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 March 2004 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what ruminant feeding trials have been conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize; whether such trials have been (a) published and (b) peer reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the implications of such trials for the commercialisation of T25 maize. - (Holding answer 1 March 2004).

Answer: Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ruminant feeding trials have been conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize; whether such trials have been (a) published and (b) peer reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the implications of such trials for the commercialisation of T25 maize. [157752] Miss Melanie Johnson: [holding answer 1 March 2004]: Ruminant feeding studies are not routinely required as part of the regulatory approval process for the marketing of new genetically modified organisms. Information on the specific GM event is used, with compositional analysis, to demonstrate whether a GM plant is substantially equivalent to its conventional counterpart. We are not aware of any published or peer reviewed reports of ruminant feeding trials conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize.

Secondary information