To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) the consent reference number, (b) the six figure grid reference, (c) the size, (d) the date of planting and (e) expected period of harvest are for the GM crop trials in the UK which have been notified for the 2002–03 growing season but which are not part of the farm scale evaluations or the National Seed Listing Trials. [110543]
| Consent number | Six-fig grid | Size (maximum) | Date of planting (expected) | Date of harvest (expected) | GM crop |
| 02/R4/12 | TF 074009 | 1000 m2 | March 2003 | November 2003 | Potato |
| 01/R9/4 | TF 124 136 | 100 m2 | Spring 2003 | Autumn 2003 | Wheat |
| 01/R29/3 | TG 179 077 | 30 m2 | February 2003 | September 2003 | Barley |
| 03/R29/4 | TG 180 070 | 4 m2 | May 2003 | October 2003 | Pea |
| 02/R36/01 | TL 124 136 | 100 m2 | Spring 2003 | Autumn 2003 | Wheat |
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the timing of the public consultancy over GM crops will allow the public to express views on the result of the GM field trials; [110374](2) when she expects to release the results of the GM field trials. [110375]
A series of scientific papers describing the outcome of the farm-scale evaluations for the three spring-sown crops (maize, beet and spring oil seed rape) has been submitted by the research consortium to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. The acceptance of the papers for publication, and the specific timing of publication, is entirely at the discretion of the journal. I understand that the papers are unlikely to be published before September. The main phase of the GM public debate will be conducted in June and July, and the Public Debate Steering Board is due to submit its report to Government in September. The results of the field trials are therefore unlikely to be available to the public taking part in the debate. However, once published, the results will be in the public domain and available for comment in the usual way.