Search Results

1-20 of 24 results for subject:Testing

Show detailed: On Off

Results: 10 20 50 100

Sort by: Newest first Oldest first

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her Department's policy (a) to introduce manufacturer/importer declarations on products manufactured outside the European Union stating that an article does not contain and release chemicals restricted in the EU and (b) to increase the use...

Asked by

Nicholas Winterton (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 December 2002

For answer on

31 January 2003

Answered on

31 January 2003

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her Department's policy (a) to introduce manufacturer/ importer declarations on products manufactured outside the European Union stating that an article does not contain and release chemicals restricted in the EU and (b) to increase the use of animal testing in order to produce the test information required by the European Union's chemicals management system REACH; and if she will make a statement.[Transferred] [87024] Mr. Meacher: The Government supports the overall aim and approach set out in the Commission's White Paper of February 2001 on a Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy. As part of the process of developing its position in preparation for negotiations on the resultant legislation (expected in 2003) the Government published a Position Statement on 9 December, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. This is not a definitive statement of the Government's negotiating position, not least because the Commission has still to publish proposals for legislation. The Statement focuses on the main elements of the system itself and how it might function. In negotiating the legislation when it emerges, the Government will have three overarching objectives: Creating a fast, efficient and workable process of testing, screening and assessing chemical substances to provide the information necessary to control those substances of concern, starting with the most harmful, because of their impacts on human health or the environment; Keeping animal testing to the minimum necessary to protect human health and the environment; and Maintaining or enhancing the competitiveness of the chemical industry. In addition, we also want to see a system that is transparent to all interested parties in its operation and that provides consumers, workers and users of substances with the level of information they require about the substances with which they come into contact. In practical terms we believe it would be difficult to enforce a requirement where every substance that had gone into the manufacture of an article was registered in accordance with the proposed new regulations. However, it may be possible to place a requirement on importers of articles to make a declaration that the imported article did not contain any labile substance of high concern which was likely to be released. On animal testing, as stated above, the Government wishes to ensure that vertebrate animal testing is kept to the absolute minimum necessary to provide sufficient information for decision-making on health and environmental protection. For example, one early estimate of the number of extra animal tests necessary to meet the system described in the White Paper came to 12 million, whereas the ideas outlined in the Government's Position Statement would require far fewer (around 1.3 million). The Government and Devolved Administrations position statement on the New European Chemical Strategy, a copy of this is in the House Library and can be found on the Defra web site at www.defra.aov.uk

Date

31 January 2003

Reference

87024; 398 c1074-5W;398 c1068-9W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which GM crop varieties started national seed listing trials in September 2002; if she will give their (a) locations and (b) dates of planting; and whether each trial is (i) a distinctiveness uniformity and stability and (ii) a...

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

1 November 2002

For answer on

7 November 2002

Answered on

7 November 2002

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which GM crop varieties started national seed listing trials in September 2002; if she will give their (a) locations and (b) dates of planting; and if each trial is (i) a distinctiveness, uniformity and stability and (ii) a value for cultivation and use trial. [79737] Mr. Meacher: [holding answer 6 November 2002]: No new GM candidate varieties started National List tests and trials in September 2002. Three Winter Oilseed Rape varieties, PHW99-429, PHW01-441, PHW02-450, were already in test and trial and these were sown again in September 2002. Of these, PHW99-429 has already completed Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability testing and was sown in Value for Cultivation and Use trials only. The site locations and dates of sowing are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Type of Test or Trial Location Date of Sowing Distinctness Uniformity and Stability Sand Hutton, Yorkshire 6 September 2002 Value for Thorganby, Lincolnshire 6 September 2002 Cultivation Meden Vale, Nottinghamshire 12 September 2002. and Use Felton, Herefordshire 12 September 2002 Melbourn, Cambridgeshire 10 September 2002 Piccotts End, Hertfordshire 16 September 2002 Shellingford, Oxfordshire 13 September 2002 Bramham, Yorkshire 4 September 2002 Banham, Norfolk 5 September 2002 Udny, Aberdeenshire 11 September 2002 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Date

7 November 2002

Reference

79737; 392 c576W;392 c588W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer of 26th September, Official Report, column 247W, on GM crops, how many tests for unauthorised genetically modified organisms have been undertaken by the GM Inspectorate; and what proportion of them showed a presence of...

Asked by

Colin Breed (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

15 October 2002

For answer on

6 November 2002

Answered on

6 November 2002

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 26 September 20002, Official Report, column 247W, on GM crops, how many tests for unauthorised genetically modified organisms have been undertaken by the GM Inspectorate; and what proportion of them showed a presence of unauthorised genetically modified organisms. [75838] Mr. Meacher: [holding answer 21 October 2002]: The GM Inspectorate has the authority to carry out testing for the presence of GMOs in two contexts: first, as part of inspection of authorised releases of GMOs into the environment, and, secondly, in support of the audit of seed importers and producers to ensure that non-GM seed stocks are free from unauthorised GM events. Testing as part of the inspection of authorised releases of GMOs is carried out whenever there is reason to believe that material in addition to that for which consent is held has been released or to confirm the GM status of volunteer plants and bolters. However, the issue of testing of released GMOs is being considered as part of the proposed review inspection and enforcement activities. Since June 2000, there have been 3 tests (comprised of 41 analytical tests) of seed prior to sowing to confirm its purity and 32 tests of volunteers and bolters. None of these tests showed the presence of unauthorised GMOs. Since June 2000 the GM Inspectorate has carried out a total of 86 audits of seed companies. These audits have monitored the precautions that seed companies have taken as regards the adventitious presence of GM events in seeds. As part of this process a series of tests (18) have been carried out to clarify results presented by seed companies. In no case was the presence of an unauthorised GMO detected.

Date

6 November 2002

Reference

75838; 392 c340W;392 c359W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which of the National Seed Listing trials for GM crops planted between Autumn 2001 and Spring 2002 were completed. - Including table.

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 November 2002

Reference

79738; 392 c354W;392 c372-3W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the scientific assessments peer reviews that data from the GM field scale evaluations will undergo; and in what order they will take place.

Asked by

Robert Key (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 July 2002

Reference

65517; 388 c695-6W;388 c698W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who is responsible for (a) testing and (b) monitoring (i) incinerator ash and (ii) incinerator emissions; and if she will make a statement.

Asked by

Sue Doughty (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

4 July 2002

Reference

388 c604-5W;388 c605W; 65606

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Government has responded to the recommendation of the Conference of Parties (5) to the Convention on Biological Diversity to investigate the potential risks and impacts of genetic restriction use technologies.

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2002

Reference

29500; 386 c934W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to seek changes to EU legislation in respect of the mandatory testing of chemicals on animals. - (Holding answer 22 january 2002).

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

23 January 2002

Reference

28633; 378 c923W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the EU proposals for laboratory testing of household chemicals on animals. - Inc fact that the European Commission published a White Paper on 27 February 2001 setting out the strategy for a future Community...

Asked by

Lord Redwood (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

28 November 2001

Reference

375 c1026-7W;375 c1027W; 17778

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many residential dwellings have been tested for radon emissions since 1988 in (a) Devon and (b) England and Wales; and what percentage of the dwellings tested were owned (i) privately and (ii) by the local authority or...

Asked by

Anthony Steen (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

22 November 2001

For answer on

28 November 2001

Answered on

28 November 2001

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many residential dwellings have been tested for radon emissions since 1988 in (a) Devon and (b) England and Wales; and what percentage of the dwellings tested were owned (i) privately and (ii) by the local authority or housing associations. [18357] Mr. Meacher: [holding answer 27 November 2001]: Recorded in the table is the number of residential dwellings that have been tested for radon emissions since 1988 in (a) Devon and (b) England and Wales; and the percentage of dwellings that were owned (i) privately and (ii) rented. The rented accommodation includes property that is owned by local authorities, housing associations, and the private rented sector. Records held centrally do not allow differentiation between the various types of public and private tenancy. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Parameter Devon{ 1} England and Wales{ 1} Number of dwellings tested since 1988 80,000 400,000 Percentage of privately owned dwellings 85 81 Percentage of local authority and housing 10 15 association owned dwellings and other tenanted dwellings{2} Percentage of unknown tenure{3} 5 4 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Numerical values are rounded {2} As recorded by the occupier at the time of measurement {3} The occupier did not state the type of tenure

Date

28 November 2001

Reference

18357; 375 c1030W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department has tested and analysed the quality of (a) the holding lakes either side of Faggs Road and Princes Lake, Bedfont, (b) the River Crane and (c) drinking water supplied to London residents in the last...

Asked by

Baroness Tonge (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

23 October 2001

Reference

8304; 373 c176W

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if a farmer chosen to take part in the farm-scale evaluations of GM crops in the UK enters into a contract to grow and manage the field of GM and non-GM crop with (a) the Farming and...

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 April 2001

Reference

157158; 366 c322W

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the voluntary agreement between his Department and the Farming and Biotechnology Industry Body concerning the farm-scale evaluations of GM crops in the UK. (In Library Dep 01/614)....

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 April 2001

Reference

157112; 366 c322W

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what commercial activities are prescribed by the voluntary agreement with the GM industry on GM crop trials. - (Holding answer 8 January 2001).

Asked by

Tim Yeo (Conservative)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

21 March 2001

Reference

144375; 365 c259W

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if the voluntary agreement with the GM industry on the conduct of crop trials in the United Kingdom (a) covers trials licensed under a Part C consent and (b) allows the harvesting and storage of GM seed from trial sites before...

Asked by

Tim Yeo (Conservative)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

20 December 2000

For answer on

21 March 2001

Answered on

21 March 2001

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if the voluntary agreement with the GM industry on the conduct of crop trials in the United Kingdom (a) covers trials licensed under a Part C consent and (b) allows the harvesting and storage of GM seed from trial sites before the completion of the crop trials; [144371] (2) if fertile seed is being harvested from GM trial sites in the United Kingdom and stored. [144367] Mr. Meacher: [holding answer 8 January 2001]: I have been asked to reply. The Government and the industry body SCIMAC made a voluntary agreement in November 1999 on the conduct of the farm scale evaluations of certain GM crops. The agreement covers all GM crops including those with Part C consent under European directive 90/220. At present one of the crops involved in the evaluations, herbicide tolerant maize, has a Part C consent. The Part B consents permitting the oil seed rape, fodder beet and sugar beet to be grown in the farm scale evaluations require the crops to be destroyed on harvest. The maize in the evaluations, which has a Part C consent, is a forage variety which would be harvested for silage not seeds. The terms of the approval for herbicide use on the maize does not permit it to enter the food or feed chain and the crop is destroyed on harvest. The agreement does not permit any other field scale plantings of these crops without the approval of the Scientific Steering Committee who will take account of the relevance of the proposals to biodiversity. A number of Part B consents for small scale plantings of other GM crops are currently in force. Each specifies the fate of the crop at the end of the trial and some permit the saving of seed for further research or testing.

Date

21 March 2001

Reference

365 c259-60W; 144371;144367

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps the Government is taking in relation to genetic use restriction technologies following the recommendation of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity concerning the approval of such technologies by parties...

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

30 November 2000

Reference

357 c758W; 138795

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what importance is given to the proximity of organic farms when deciding upon the location of farm-scale evaluations of GM crops; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Andy Reed (Labour; Co-operative Party)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

29 November 2000

Reference

357 c605W;357 c604W; 137069

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which GM genetic use restriction technologies (a) have been authorised for field testing in Great Britain to date and (b) are awaiting approval.

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

29 November 2000

Reference

138846; 357 c606-7W;357 c604-5W

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the cost is of farm-scale trials of GM herbicide tolerant crops; what is the contribution from public funds; and what is the Government's policy with respect to funding such trials.

Asked by

Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

24 March 2000

For answer on

29 March 2000

Answered on

29 March 2000

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the cost is of farm-scale trials of GM herbicide tolerant crops; what is the contribution from public funds; and what is the Government's policy with respect to funding such trials. [116689] Mr. Meacher: The Farm-Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops are being organised by the Government, in conjunction with the industry body SCIMAC. SCIMAC are providing the required number of fields of GM crops and equivalent non-GM crops (the crops involved are forage maize, beet, spring and autumn sown oil seed rape). The Government are funding an independent research consortium to carry out ecological studies. The cost of the ecological studies is currently £4.4 million over the period March 1999 to December 2003. It is usually the responsibility of the organisation applying for consent to place GM crops on the market to provide evidence of environmental impact. This is likely to include the results of studies carried out to support that evidence. In the case of the GM herbicide tolerant crops involved in the Farm-Scale Evaluations programme, the Government and industry agreed that additional research on the environmental impact of growing and managing the crops was required before general cultivation could be contemplated. It was agreed that these studies would be jointly funded as described above. It is anticipated that, in future, applicants will include such evidence in their dossiers when making applications. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment subgroup on Wider Biodiversity Issues, announced in February 1999, is working on guidance and criteria for carrying out such assessments in the future.

Date

29 March 2000

Reference

347 c131W; 116689

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what recent representations he has received on the reliability of tightness testing with regard to underground storage tanks.

Asked by

Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 January 2000

Reference

342 c359W;342 c357W; 104639

House

House of Commons

Librarians' tools

Type

House

Session

Year

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher