"It would be irresponsible of the government to permit the commercialisation of GM crops on the basis of one narrow component of the entire evaluation of GM technology.

"This would be the case even were there no significant doubts as to the robustness, validity and relevance of the FSE results."
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MPs warn against 'irresponsible' GM decision
e-politix, 5 March 2004

A cross-party committee of Members of Parliament has warned the government not to give an immediate green light to the planting of GM crops in the UK.  Reports have suggested that environment secretary Margaret Beckett will next week give permission for the commercial production of a GM product named Chardon LL (Liberty Link).

But the Commons environmental audit select committee said that there were flaws in the government's GM trials.  The report said that a trial of GMHT forage maize was "unsatisfactory, indeed invalid" because of the pesticide used on the crops.

 "We are very concerned about possible contamination by gene-flow and pollen spread of non-GM crops and insist that the issue of liability be settled before any GM crops are allowed to be commercially grown in the UK," it added.

The MPs said the UK should wait until further evaluations have been made of the experience of GM crops in North America.

The committee added: "The scope of the trials was very narrow and the results cannot be regarded as adequate grounds for a decision to be taken in favour of commercialisation."

"It would be irresponsible of the government to permit the commercialisation of GM crops on the basis of one narrow component of the entire evaluation of GM technology.

"This would be the case even were there no significant doubts as to the robustness, validity and relevance of the FSE results."

Committee chairman Peter Ainsworth said that a government green light for commercial GM crop planting would be "irresponsible in the light of the evidence available from the trials".

"No substantive ministerial announcements should be made until the government has formally responded to the issues raised in this report. I am writing to the secretary of state today to emphasise this point," he added.

Serious concerns

Shadow agriculture secretary John Whittingdale said the report raised "serious concerns about the validity of the GM crop trials".

"The government must address the real concerns raised by this report before any further decision is announced about commercial planting," he added.

"Until the consumer can be satisfied that the production of GM crops is based on sound and thorough research and that a clear framework which tackles liability, contamination and separation is in place, no approvals for commercial plantings should be given."

Liberal Democrat spokesman Andrew George said the report had "blown out of the water" the government's case for allowing the planting of GM crops.

"It would be foolish to decide to grow GM maize in the UK following such strong cross-party criticism. Decisions should be based on 'sound' science not the 'make do' evidence available at present," he said.

"Growing GM crops in Britain won't help the developing world, we could leave future generations with an unwelcome legacy and above all people simply don't want the stuff."
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"Blair is giving [GM] the nod on the basis of flawed testing. If GM is sown in our fields he will reap a whirlwind of protest."  

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