Cabinet Office

Members of the new Commissions will be drawn from a broad range of interests - those with expertise of consumer issues and ethics, for example, will sit alongside scientists. The new Commissions will have a duty to consult widely with stakeholders and the public. The new Commissions will be in place as soon as practically possible.

To make the regulatory system more open, the Government is publishing a set of guidelines which all committees involved in biotechnology will be required to follow. These will ensure that the public are able to engage fully with the work of the committees.

Report by the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser

The Report by the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that many of the issues raised by foods resulting from genetic modification were equally applicable to foods produced by conventional means. In the report, they said:

"There is no evidence to suggest that the GM technologies used to produce food are inherently harmful.

"We are reassured by the precautionary nature and rigour of the current procedures used to assess the safety of individual GM foods."

They recommended:

• a close watch to be kept on developments and to continue to fund research to improve scientific understanding in this area;
• moves to improve the openness of the regulatory procedures to public scrutiny; and
• consideration to be given to the establishment of a national surveillance unit to monitor population health aspects of genetically modified and other types of novel foods.

New Safeguards for Cultivating GM Crops

New safeguards to ensure that genetically modified crops are carefully controlled as they are grown on the farm were published by the industry group SCIMAC (Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops) earlier today.

The Government welcomes them. They are tough rules. They are underpinned by legally binding contracts. There will be an independent system of enforcement and audit. The Government considers that in the longer term they could form the basis of legislation.

Commenting on today's announcement, Jack Cunningham said:

"The current system for testing the safety of genetically modified products has been found to be both rigorous and effective. However, the system needs to take a broader view of the technology, to be more transparent and to take account of a wider range of viewpoints.

"Our announcement today sets out how we plan to achieve this. I believe that greater openness is essential both to secure public confidence and to stimulate a more informed public debate on biotechnology issues.

"The announcement cuts across a number of Government departments - and demonstrates the importance of the Cabinet Committee on Biotechnology and Genetic Modification which has developed these proposals."

Michael Meacher said:

"The new Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission will ensure that a wide set of stakeholders are fully involved in the regulatory framework. This is essential given the very fast moving nature of this technology.

"I welcome the work which Jeff Rooker has done with the industry group SCIMAC to ensure that they adopt rigorous rules to manage the cultivation of GM crops."

Tessa Jowell said:

"Biotechnology has revolutionised our ability to treat a wide range of diseases. The development of some invaluable medicines and treatments for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, anaemia and multiple sclerosis would have been impossible without biotechnological techniques. It also holds tremendous promise for further reduction of suffering - for example through new medicines, new methods of diagnosis and treatment for inherited diseases and for cancers.

"This is a fast developing area and we want to ensure that the regulatory system supports and facilitates responsible development rather than impeding it. We believe that our changes will ensure that we have a strong, visible regulatory system in which the public can have confidence and that will enable us to fulfil our primary responsibilities - protecting people's health and the environment."

Jeff Rooker said:

"Before genetically modified foods are approved for market, they each go through a process of very thorough scrutiny by the best experts available. The report from the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser makes clear that concerns about the safety of genetically modified foods on the market were ill founded. The Food Standards Agency will ensure that Ministers will continue to receive rigorous and impartial advice on safety.

"The new SCIMAC guidelines to regulate the growing of GM crops will ensure that producers growing GM crops will follow agricultural practices. This is an essential component of our plan to ensure that commercial cultivation of GM crops is carefully managed."

John Battle said:

"In November 1997 I announced the first ever consultation on biosciences. Its purpose was to ensure the public were involved in the debate about regulation of a fast developing and vital area of technology. The Framework announcement made today demonstrates we take the public's views seriously."

1. The Ministerial Cabinet Committee on Biotechnology and Genetic Modification, (MISC 6), was set up by the Prime Minister in Autumn 1998 to co-ordinate the Government's overall policy on biotechnology. Its remit is to consider issues relating to biotechnology, in particular those arising from genetic modification.

2. Dr Cunningham announced the Government's review of the framework for overseeing developments in biotechnology on 17 December 1998 - Cabinet Office Press Notice 273/98.

3. Further information on and copies of the Chief Medical Officer's and the Chief Scientific Adviser's report are available from the Department of Health Press Office .

4. Further information on and copies of 'The Public Consultation on Developments in the Biosciences' and an Executive Summary are available from the Department of Trade and Industry Press Office.