Hansard

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Volume 501: debated on Wednesday 25 November 2009

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Mr. Roger Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many genetically modified food trials the Government has licensed (a) in each region and (b) for each species in each of the last five years; how much his Department has spent on genetically-modified food trials in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. (301025)

Jim Fitzpatrick

In the last five years DEFRA has issued three consents for GM crop trials as follows:

Consent ref.

Applicant

Crop

Date of consent

Release site

06/R42/01

BASF Plant Science GmbH

Potato

1 December 2006

Girton, Cambs.

07/R42/01

BASF Plant Science GmbH

Potato

14 May 2007

Trial did not proceed—no material grown

07/R31/01

University of Leeds

Potato

9 May 2008

Bramham, Leeds

The trials by Leeds university formed part of a wider research project on the control of potato cyst nematodes, funded mainly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and with a contribution from DEFRA under a Government Partnership Award programme. DEFRA’s contribution to the overall project costs was £41,000 in 2005 and £18,000 in 2009. Specific cost figures just for the field trial component of the project are not readily available. The BASF trials were entirely funded by the company.